Luke Voit Injury Means Jay Bruce Makes Yankees' Opening Day Roster

Things really stink for MLB home run champion Luke Voit of the New York Yankees. But they're not so bad for Jay Bruce, also now of the Yankees.

Let's start with Voit, who has to undergo knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear. He isn't expected to return until May.

Now for Bruce. The three-timer All-Star ended last season with the Philadelphia Phillies. He hasn't been quite as good as the mid-2010s, and was just trying to land a roster spot with the Yankees. And that's precisely what will happen for Bruce after the injury to Voit.

“We're going to be missing Luke but I know Jay Bruce is going to come in and do some special things for us,” Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge told reporters. “Luke is a big part of this team, big part of this offense. He’s a really vocal guy in the clubhouse who gets us motivated. I’m excited to have Jay Bruce on his team. This is why he came to this team, was to help anyway he can and help us win a championship.”

Bruce, 33, has played more than 1,500 games in the outfield, as well as 54 at first base. The Yankees think his professionalism and know-how will prove to be beneficiery.

“Clearly this is where I wanted to be, Bruce said. "This is why I signed here. I'm extremely excited.”