Gary Sanchez out 3-4 Weeks with Groin Injury Diagnosed as Grade 1 Strain

The New York Yankees placed Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list Monday, as the catcher is expected to miss an extended period of time.

Per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, New York manager Aaron Boone revealed that Sanchez will probably be sidelined for three to four weeks with a Grade 1 right groin strain.

Although the 25-year-old is hitting below the Mendoza Line, his absence will take away some of the Bronx Bombers' depth. He is one of seven Yankees with double-digit home runs this season, tied for third with 14 dingers.

One year after hitting .278 with 33 home runs in his first full season in the big leagues, Sanchez is slashing .190/.291/.433 in 63 games this season.

Sanchez hit just .202 in the opening month-plus of the season and showed signs of improvement with a .230 average in May. However, prior to the injury, he was hitting just .121 with two home runs in June. While he has 10 home runs and 27 RBI against right-handers, he has a .171 average against them.

Now, New York's depth will be tested.

Austin Romine has been solid at the plate this season, hitting .305 with four homers. On the other hand, the 29-year-old is a career .231 hitter and has already tied his single-season career high for long balls. Kyle Higashioka, 28, appears to be the No. 2 option now behind Romine. The former seventh-round pick has 18 career at-bats in the majors.

The Yankees are tied atop the American League East with the archrival Boston Red Sox. Losing Sanchez for approximately a month will be a challenge. Fortunately for New York, though, there is still plenty of pop in the lineup. Reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton and AL MVP runner-up Aaron Judge are still available, not to mention Didi Gregorius and Miguel Andujar, among others.

Sanchez wasn't having the easiest year at the plate, but he still was a dangerous threat in the middle of the lineup. Now, the Yankees have to hope Romine can continue to swing the bat well and help the team get through the next few weeks in good shape.