Yankees Place Ryan McMahon on IL With Grade 2 Sprained Left Thumb

Ryan McMahon is on the 10-day injured list with a Grade 2 sprained left thumb, the placement backdated to August 20. Max Schuemann was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the roster spot, per Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.

The injury traced back to Wednesday's win over Baltimore. McMahon hit an RBI single in the second inning, was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, and jammed his thumb sliding into second base. He attempted to play through it before being lifted for pinch-hitter José Caballero in the eighth.

What McMahon and Boone said

McMahon told reporters, including Jorge Castillo of ESPN, that the sprain is Grade 2 and he hopes to return after a minimal stint. Manager Aaron Boone echoed that expectation, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. The placement runs through at least August 30, and per the report, the Yankees could also wait until the September 1 roster expansion to activate him.

The infield shuffle

With McMahon out, José Caballero is expected to serve as the primary third baseman for roughly the next week and a half. Tonight's alignment has Caballero at second base, Amed Rosario at third, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the bench — an adjustment the report attributes to the Blue Jays starting left-handed opener Mason Fluharty.

The choice to recall Schuemann rather than Anthony Volpe is described as moderately surprising in the report. One possible explanation offered: Cody Bellinger, who began a rehab assignment at Triple-A and is targeting a return during the Toronto series, was initially expected to push Spencer Jones off the roster. If Schuemann is sent back down when Bellinger is activated, it would allow Volpe to keep playing regularly in Scranton and build reps at second base — though none of that sequencing is settled, per the report.

McMahon's season so far

This is McMahon's second IL stint of 2026. He also missed time in June with a throat infection. In his first season in pinstripes, he carries a .216/.282/.367 slash line with 10 home runs over 306 plate appearances. The report notes he has been a steady defensive presence but hasn't produced the offensive uptick the club was hoping for at Yankee Stadium.