The New York Yankees were supposed to get Ryan McMahon back in game action Wednesday. Instead, the third baseman spent the day dealing with food poisoning, pushing his rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset back at least a day.
McMahon was scheduled to take live reps at TD Bank Ballpark against the Hartford Yard Goats. The Yankees scratched him a few hours before first pitch. The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported on X that the issue is food poisoning, not a setback related to the peritonsillar abscess that landed McMahon on the injured list in the first place.
Kirschner said the plan now is for McMahon to play Thursday if he feels better and get activated Friday.
That schedule leaves almost no margin. One rehab game means maybe four or five at-bats before he’s back with a big league lineup that’s been scuffling for runs. It’s not ideal but the Yankees are basically out of options if they want him this weekend.
More than just McMahon
The weird part is that McMahon might not have been the only one. Multiple players in the system reportedly dealt with similar symptoms around the same time. Top prospect Spencer Jones was among them, according to sources who spoke with beat writers. So this might be a team-wide stomach bug situation rather than a bad takeout order.
The Yankees have not confirmed anything broader. But the timing is suspicious and the organization has been quiet about the exact cause.
What they’re missing
McMahon hasn’t played since the abscess knocked him out. He’s a steady defender at third base and gives the lineup another left-handed bat. The Yankees have cycled through fill-ins and the production has been spotty. Getting him back stabilizes that spot defensively and gives Aaron Boone a more reliable option in the middle of the order.
But none of that helps if McMahon can’t keep food down today. If his symptoms clear overnight, the delay stays minor. If they don’t, the Yankees are looking at another roster scramble during a stretch of the season where they can’t afford any more complications.
McMahon is 31 and was having a solid year before the infection. The Yankees will check on him again Thursday morning and make the call from there.
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