Gary Sanchez Reportedly Hitting Yankees DL with Groin Injury

New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez will reportedly be placed on the disabled list after suffering a groin injury during Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

Olney reported a Tuesday MRI confirmed Sanchez's injury. Per Jon Heyman of Fancred, it is believed the catcher reaggravated the injury on a first-inning passed ball, which allowed a run to score from second:

Sanchez later received criticism for not running out a grounder that ended the game, keeping the tying run from scoring in a 7-6 loss:

As it turns out, he was hurt.

Sanchez has been one of the most productive catchers in MLB since breaking out with 20 home runs in 53 appearances for the Yanks in 2016. While his batting average is below the Mendoza Line, his power numbers (14 HR, 42 RBI) have remained valuable.

The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native suffered the first significant injury of his Yankees career in late June when he was placed on the disabled list with a right groin strain.

After Sanchez's latest setback, Austin Romine should see a lion's share of the starts behind the plate for New York. 

Although the Yanks should have enough offensive depth to survive a short-term absence from Sanchez, any type of extended DL stay would limit the team's upside. He's a key piece of the puzzle, especially at a position where most teams don't receive high-end hitting numbers.