Earlier this season, things were looking down for the New York Yankees. Multiple players were out with injuries and at one point the team was on an ugly seven game losing streak. After losing the first two games in a five game series, the Yankees beat the New York Mets 2-1 on August 29th. The Yankees then went on to win the series, beating their crosstown rivals in a double header on August 30th, giving Yankees fans hope for the remainder of the season.

The Yankees had another losing streak in early September, though not as severe as the one in August. After five losses, the Yankees came back with a win against the Blue Jays, 7-2. That win would be the turning point of the season as it kicked off a 10-game winning streak, their longest winning streak since 2012. It ended with a loss against their rivals, the Red Sox, at Fenway Park on Sunday, September 20th. However, it indicated that the Yankees had the potential to make a deep run into this expanded playoff system. So what prompted this winning streak after their previous losses?

The MLB as a whole has had an increase in injuries recently, most noticeably in their pitchers, though it is not yet been clear why. The number of Tommy John surgeries was already on the rise when the pandemic hit, but after coming back from an extended break and a shortened spring training season, injuries among pitchers have been even more prevalent. The Yankees are no exception to this trend in greater injuries, as their past few seasons have been marked by numerous members of their roster joining the injured list. Both Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who, according to fellow outfielder Brett Gardner, are very important to the team’s success, were out for part of the season alongside Gio Urshela, Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, and Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman missed the beginning of the season, coming back in mid August, after testing positive for COVID-19 in July. Chapman will be essential to the Yankees’ success as the season progresses. Although Chapman is not injured, he is facing a three game suspension after nearly hitting Tampa Bay Rays player, Michael Brousseau, in the head with a 101 mile per hour pitch. Although the dugouts of both teams cleared in response to the pitch, no fights broke out. Though Chapman claims it wasn’t intentional, the close call did not ease a relationship strained by previous confrontations between Joey Wendle and Masahiro Tanaka.

Despite their many losses, the Yankees still have a chance to continue on as they are currently up 1-0 after a 12-3 rout of the 4th seed Cleveland Indians. With Cy Young contender Shane Bieber in the mix, the series will shake up to be an interesting watch. With Luke Voit leading the major league in home runs and with the return of many previously injured players, there is hope for the Yankees once again. This season has had its flaws, but like most things in 2020, baseball hasn’t been normal or easy. With a little luck, and hopefully no more injuries, the Yankees could have a shot at winning the World Series.

Disclaimer: Article draws upon coverage from FOX Sports and CBS Sports