Jon Berti’s hip injury hurts Yankees’ infield depth as World Series begins

LOS ANGELES — The Yankees will person a batch little infield extent successful nan World Series than they did successful nan playoffs, arsenic Jon Berti is retired pinch a hep flexor he suffered erstwhile he scored nan go-ahead tally successful nan ninth inning of Game 4 of nan ALCS against Cleveland.

Berti’s nonaccomplishment opened up a roster spot for Nestor Cortes, who was added arsenic a 13th pitcher, but it leaves nan Yankees pinch Oswaldo Cabrera arsenic nan lone backup infielder.

That’s particularly risky pinch Anthony Rizzo still dealing pinch nan effects of 2 fractured fingers successful his correct hand.

Jon Berti was near of nan World Series roster because of a hep flexor he suffered successful Game 4 of nan ALCS. Getty Images

Rizzo has been coagulated since coming back, but it’s acold from a fixed that he’ll beryllium capable to play each inning of nan series.

Manager Aaron Boone said earlier Game 1 of nan World Series astatine Dodger Stadium connected Friday that Berti would person been a fastener to beryllium connected nan roster earlier nan wounded — and nan Yankees were going to adhd Cortes arsenic a 13th pitcher sloppy of nan circumstances — truthful it’s unclear wherever nan Yankees would person gone if he hadn’t gotten hurt.

“We were hoping a fewer days [off] would help,’’ Boone said of nan break betwixt nan ALCS and nan World Series. “He had a chance to play … and beryllium an important portion of, especially, nan chair mix. It’s a blow. It sucks.”

Fortunately for nan Yankees, Cabrera, for illustration Berti, tin sub astatine respective different infield spots, and nan Yankees still person a brace of backup outfielders successful Trent Grisham and Jasson Dominguez.

Berti, according to Boone, wasn’t disposable successful nan Game 5 clincher successful Cleveland

“He wounded himself successful Game 4 erstwhile he scored that one,” Boone said. “He wasn’t moreover going to beryllium disposable to america successful Game 5. We were hoping to benignant of get him through.

Berti had besides provided immoderate coagulated at-bats and is simply a weighted pinch runner.

He’d dealt pinch a number of injuries during nan regular play aft arriving successful March successful a three-team waste and acquisition from nan Marlins to adhd an infielder erstwhile DJ LeMahieu went down pinch a ft injury.

A strained calf costs Berti overmuch of nan regular season, but aft his September return, he was conscionable what nan Yankees had hoped, moreover helping capable successful for Rizzo astatine first guidelines successful nan ALDS, erstwhile Rizzo was still out.

He entered Game 4 arsenic a pinch runner aft Rizzo led disconnected nan apical of nan ninth of a necktie crippled pinch a azygous to left.

Anthony Volpe followed pinch a azygous and Alex Verdugo put nan Yankees up for bully by driving successful Berti pinch a grounder to shortstop.