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Miguel Andujar

Miguel Andujar Asks To Be Traded From Yankees

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Miguel Andujar told Yankees manager Aaron Boone yesterday that he wishes to be traded, Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez reports (Twitter link).  Andujar was optioned to Triple-A after last night’s game, as the Yankees needed to open a roster spot for Giancarlo Stanton’s activation from the 10-day injured list today.

As per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, this isn’t the first time Andujar has asked to be dealt, as the infielder/outfielder has gone from future cornerstone to a seeming afterthought on New York’s roster.  After finishing second in AL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2018, Andujar has played in only 90 Major League games since the start of the 2019 season.  Injuries have been a factor in this lack of playing time, as Andujar missed most of the 2019 season due to shoulder surgery and also missed a notable chunk of the 2021 campaign due to wrist problems.

With Andujar missing so much time, the Yankees simply moved on to other players — most notably Gio Urshela, who enjoyed a big breakout season when replacing Andujar at third base in 2019.  Andujar wasn’t necessarily seen as a long-term defensive fit at third base anyway, but a shift to mostly outfield and first base work over the last couple of the years also hasn’t created a clearer path to a regular lineup spot.

When not on the IL, Andujar has been shuttled back and forth from Triple-A and the majors.  He is still consistently producing at the Triple-A level, which could give other teams some indication that the 27-year-old Andujar can bounce back in a new environment and with steadier playing time at the big league level.  It isn’t surprising that Andujar has become frustrated over his situation, but between his injuries and his .234/.260/.329 slash line over 319 PA from 2019-22, Andujar’s trade value isn’t exactly high.

Andujar has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past for a few years now, and Newsday’s Erik Boland reported just last March that the Yankees were again shopping Andujar to other teams.  While Yankees GM Brian Cashman was undoubtedly not open to buy-low offers in 2019 or 2020, however, Andujar’s stock simply hasn’t rebounded to the point where New York could still score a big return in a deal.

It’s possible Cashman could look to move Andujar for another post-hype prospect type or reclamation project, or perhaps include Andujar as part of a larger trade package.  Of course, the Yankees are also under no obligation to actually trade Andujar, as he is under team control through the 2024 season.  Andujar is earning $1.3MM in 2022, in his first year of arbitration eligibility.

Yankees Reinstate Giancarlo Stanton

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The Yankees have reinstated slugger Giancarlo Stanton from the 10-day injured list, per the team. He is back on the active roster batting cleanup as the designated hitter.

New York weathered the loss of Stanton just fine, having gone 7-2 in his absence. Stanton spent the minimum amount of time away, missing only nine games. Prior to his placement on the injured list, Stanton was hitting .285/.339/.523 in 168 plate appearances with 11 long balls.

The corresponding roster moves were made yesterday after last night’s ballgame. Miguel Andujar was optioned to Triple-A. Andujar appeared in 12 games, slashing .268/.279/.317 through 43 plate appearances while mostly playing left field.

Tim Locastro also completed his rehab assignment. He was reinstated and optioned to Triple-A as well. The speedy Locastro is largely a reserve option for the Yankees. His ability to play all three outfield positions provides some value as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

Yankees Notes: Donaldson, Andujar, Chapman, Sears

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The Yankees announced Monday that third baseman Josh Donaldson has been placed on the Covid-19-related injured list. Miguel Andujar has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a substitute player in his place. Donaldson hasn’t yet tested positive but reported symptoms to the team. He, Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashioka (all on the Covid list) are “more than just not feeling well,” says manager Aaron Boone (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “They feel sick. … They’re not available to play.”

That, however, isn’t the Donaldson news that’s the primary topic of conversation today. Major League Baseball announced that Donaldson has received a one-game suspension after making a quip to Yankees shortstop Tim Anderson wherein Donaldson called him “Jackie.” Anderson, White Sox skipper Tony La Russa and several of Anderson’s teammates were quick to call the comment racist, while Donaldson after the game sought to play it off as an inside joke through which he meant no harm. Donaldson plans to appeal the suspension, according to the league.

White Sox closer Liam Hendriks didn’t mince words when asked how the Sox clubhouse felt about Donaldson’s explanation, calling it “bullshit” and telling reporters (video link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times): “Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all.”

Fellow reliever Joe Kelly, who was doing a radio appearance with the Parker & Spiegel Show on 670 The Score at the time the suspension broke, expressed disbelief. “One game?” Kelly asked rhetorically. “I got eight games for making a silly face at Carlos Correa.”

Major League Baseball’s statement on the matter was as follows:

“MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident. There is no dispute over what was said on the field. Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions. In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”

In other Yankees-related news on the day, Boone said that an MRI on closer Aroldis Chapman’s ailing Achilles tendon came back clean (Twitter link via Lindsey Adler of The Athletic). A trip to the injured list, however, remains a possibility for Chapman. The team is still weighing its options. The 34-year-old Chapman’s velocity, strikeout rate and walk rate have all gone the wrong direction this year. After opening the season with a dozen scoreless outings, Chapman has yielded at least one in each of his past five appearances, causing his ERA to jump to 3.86.

Meanwhile, it seems as though lefty JP Sears will make the first start of his Major League career tomorrow. Boone further divulged that the 26-year-old, who tossed a pair of scoreless relief innings in the Majors and has a 0.83 ERA and 30-to-2 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, will make a spot start during tomorrow’s doubleheader (Twitter link via Hoch).

Yankees Place Zack Britton On 10-Day Injured List

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AUGUST 24: Britton is going for a second opinion, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Lindsey Adler of the Athletic). Some form of surgery is apparently on the table as a potential outcome.

AUGUST 23: The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve placed lefty Zack Britton on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow sprain, recalled outfielder Jonathan Davis from Triple-A Scranton and reinstated righty Clay Holmes from the Covid-19-related injured list. Additionally, the Yankees paused Miguel Andujar’s minor league rehab assignment and transferred him to the 60-day injured list.

Last October, the Yankees picked up Britton’s $14MM option for 2022, as declining it would have allowed the lefty to become a free agent.  In a sense, the club made a $27MM commitment for 2021-22.  In March of this year, it became apparent that Britton would require arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow.  This delayed his season debut until June 12th.  Not long after, he returned to the IL with a hamstring strain.  Never a control pitcher, Britton saw his walk rate this year balloon to 17.1% in 22 appearances.  His typically ridiculous groundball rate has remained, but Britton also lost his seeming ability to repress batting average on balls in play (.230 from 2018-20).  The result has been heavy traffic on the bases and a 5.89 ERA, perhaps related to a drop in fastball velocity exceeding two miles per hour.

Britton had already tumbled down the Yankees’ bullpen depth chart, with the team’s highest-leverage work this month going to Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and Chad Green.  Another pricey reliever, Aroldis Chapman, returned from an IL stint for elbow inflammation on August 18th.

Andujar has been on the 10-day injured list since July 10 due to a left wrist sprain, so since his 60-day clock is retroactive to that date, he now isn’t eligible to return until well into September. There hasn’t been any specific word on a setback, though since Andujar hasn’t played in any minor league rehab games since last Wednesday, something certainly appears to be amiss. Andujar only began his rehab assignment last Tuesday, appearing in two games.

Between this injury and his prior status of getting shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the Yankees’ roster, 2021 is shaping up as another lost season for Andujar, who has hit .253/.284/.383 in 162 plate appearances over 45 games this year. Since finishing second in AL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2018, Andujar has managed only a .588 OPS over 276 PA at the big league level, due to both injuries and the fact that the Yankees seem to have largely moved on. Gio Urshela’s emergence in 2019 covered Andujar’s old spot at third base, and recent attempts to convert him to an outfielder also haven’t yielded any additional playing time.

COVID Notes: 7/10/21

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The latest on coronavirus situations from around baseball…

  • Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm was removed from today’s game in the eighth inning for what manager Joe Girardi described only as reasons related to “COVID protocols.”  Officials aren’t required to provide detailed information about COVID-19 situations, and Girardi just told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman) that “we’ll know more as time goes on.  That’s all I can give you right now.”  It isn’t yet known if Bohm will be placed on the actual COVID-related injury list, and such a placement isn’t necessarily a sure thing — in the event of a close contact situation or perhaps an inconclusive test result, Bohm could be cleared in time for Sunday’s game with the Red Sox.  Following a very impressive 2020 rookie season, Bohm has hit a sophomore slump, hitting only .243/.298/.343 with six home runs in 329 PA this year.
  • The Yankees placed right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga on the COVID-related injury list prior to today’s game with the Astros.  Along with the placement of Miguel Andujar on the regular 10-day IL due to a left wrist strain, New York called up right-handers Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske from Triple-A to fill the spots on the 26-man roster.  Yankees manager Aaron Boone also didn’t give specifics on Loaisiga’s status to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters, except to say that Loaisiga “feels good.”  The righty has been a force out of the Yankees’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.11 ERA, 63.9% grounder rate, an outstanding 5.5% walk rate and an above-average 25.1% strikeout rate over 47 innings.

Yankees Recall Miguel Andujar, Option Albert Abreu

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The Yankees recalled Miguel Andujar today, the team announced. To make room, they optioned Albert Abreu to Triple-A.

Andujar arrives as insurance for starting third baseman Gio Urshela. An MRI on Urshela’s knee came back without any structural damage, so he’ll be day-to-day for now, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter). Urshela has once again proven himself to be a reliable bat for the Yankees. He’s slashing .287/.342/.455 with four home runs across 111 plate appearances, producing 0.7 bWAR.

Andujar himself has struggled to stay healthy. This spring he dealt with carpel tunnel syndrome in his wrist, though it hasn’t appeared to bother him so far. The minor league season is just three days old, but Andujar has already knocked three home runs while going 6-for-13.

As for Abreu, the 25-year-old right-hander made two appearances this season, both coming in the first half of April. He was placed on the roster just two days ago when Rougned Odor went to the injured list. Abreu will likely join the starting rotation in Triple-A.

East Notes: Andujar, Nelson, Smith, Turner

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The Yankees announced a pair of roster moves after today’s 7-3 loss to the Indians. For starters, they optioned Nick Nelson to their alternate site. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in six games, once as an opener, giving up 10 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings. The demotion comes after a two-inning, three-earned-run outing in today’s ballgame. In addition, the Yankees activated third baseman Miguel Andujar from the injured list and optioned him to their alternate site. Andujar was beset by a bout of carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist. Slowed largely by injures, the 26-year-old has hit just .193/.219/.257 across 114 plate appearances since his breakout rookie season in 2018. Let’s stay on the East Coast, but move over to the Senior Circuit…

  • The Mets activated right-hander Drew Smith from the injured list and optioned him to their alternate site, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 27-year-old has been spotty, but intriguing in small samples for the Mets. Though he made just eight appearances last year, he has logged 35 innings in 35 appearances with a 4.11 ERA/4.08 FIP going back through 2018. Injuries have been the bugaboo for Smith, who missed all of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His shoulder has been the issue of late, though hopefully, with some time at the alternate site, Smith can prove his readiness and soon get back to a big league mound.
  • Star shortstop Trea Turner was removed from today’s game after getting plunked in the arm. He has a contusion on his left forearm, but testing came back negative, per Jesse Doughtery of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Turner may miss a game, but it sounds as if the Nats expect him to be okay. That’s critical for the Nationals, as Turner has taken over as their 3-hole hitter with Juan Soto on the shelf. The speedy shortstop looks at home in the middle of the order with a 120 wRC+ and 1.0 bWAR produced through 75 plate appearances prior to today’s game.

Injury Notes: Kim, Alfaro, Andujar, Schmidt, Reds

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Kwang Hyun Kim is slated to toss a 90-pitch simulated game today, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).  Kim tossed another simulated game earlier this week, so the left-hander may be just about on the verge of rejoining the Cards’ rotation during the team’s upcoming series against the Phillies from April 16-18.

Back problems sidelined Kim for a good chunk of Spring Training, requiring an injured list placement to begin the season.  The 32-year-old is looking to build off an impressive debut season in Major League Baseball, as Kim posted a 1.62 ERA over 39 innings (thanks to a 50% grounder rate and a lot of soft contact) in 2020.

More injury updates from around the sport…

  • Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to what the team described as “lingering tightness in his left hamstring.”  Manager Don Mattingly told SportsGrid’s Craig Mish and other reporters the Marlins may decide tomorrow whether or not an IL stint is required.  Counting today, Alfaro will have been sidelined for four straight games, and Miami doesn’t have another off-day until April 19.  Should Alfaro hit the injured list, Sandy Leon is the only catcher in the Marlins’ farm system with any big league experience, so the team could select his minor league deal and install Leon as Chad Wallach’s backup.
  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided updates on Miguel Andujar and Clarke Schmidt to reporters (including ESPN.com’s Marly Rivera and Newsday’s Erik Boland).  For Andujar, he is already hitting off a tee and will start hitting out of the batting cage next week as the 26-year-old is trying to recover from right carpal tunnel syndrome.  Schmidt, meanwhile, is getting a second opinion on his bothersome right elbow, which is still giving him discomfort after almost seven weeks.  Schmidt was shut down back in February for what was supposed to be three or four weeks due to a common extensor strain in his right elbow — for what it’s worth, Boland noted that Boone today described the injury as simply a “right elbow strain.”
  • Shogo Akiyama and Sonny Gray are each progressing well in their injury recoveries, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Akiyama has been expected to return from a hamstring injury in early-mid May, and Reds manager David Bell says the outfielder has had “zero setbacks” in his rehab. Gray, meanwhile, is in line to make his return from a back injury by the end of next week. It’s a little less clear when Cincinnati can expect Michael Lorenzen back; the right-hander’s recovery from a shoulder strain is “not as going fast as he would like,” Bell said (via Sheldon).

Yankees Select Lucas Luetge

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The Yankees announced that they have selected the contract of left-handed reliever Lucas Luetge, whom they signed to a minor league contract in the offseason. To make room for Luetge on their 40-man, the Yankees placed fellow southpaw reliever Zack Britton on the 60-day injured list. Britton will miss the first few months of the season as a result of elbow surgery.

Luetge makes for an interesting story as someone who hasn’t pitched in the majors in several years. A 21st-round pick of the Brewers in 2008, Luetge debuted with the Mariners in 2012 and stuck with the organization through 2015, though he combined for only 89 innings during that stretch. As a member of the M’s, Luetge logged a 4.35 ERA with unimpressive strikeout rates of 19 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively, while averaging a little over 90 mph on his fastball. He has since pitched in the minors with a handful of other teams, and he spent last year with the A’s organization.

To Luetge’s credit, he improbably shut down opposing hitters this spring with Yankees, as the 34-year-old tossed 10 1/3 innings of two-run, eight-hit ball with an eye-opening 18 strikeouts against two walks. Thanks to that tremendous performance and injuries to Britton and lefty Justin Wilson, whom the Yankees placed on the 10-day IL with shoulder inflammation, Luetge was able to earn a season-opening spot in the Yankees’ bullpen. He’ll be their relief corps’ top southpaw behind Aroldis Chapman until Wilson returns.

Along with the above moves, the Yankees placed first baseman Luke Voit (left knee) and third baseman/outfielder Miguel Andujar (right wrist) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to March 29. Neither decision came as a surprise – Voit just underwent surgery, while Andujar’s wrist has bothered him for a couple of weeks.

AL East Notes: Davis, Yanks, Wilson, Andujar, Jays

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The seven-year, $161MM contract the Orioles gave first baseman Chris Davis before 2016 continues to look worse: Manager Brandon Hyde admitted Monday that the lower back strain that has sidelined Davis since early this month could force him to begin the season on the 60-day injured list, according to Dan Connolly of The Athletic. Davis, who turned 35 last week, has gone from star to liability over the past few years. He slashed a horrendous .115/.164/.173 with no home runs during an injury-shortened, 55-plate appearance 2020. Davis is in the penultimate season of a contract that has long been an albatross for Baltimore.

More from the American League East…

  • Yankees left-handed reliever Justin Wilson departed Monday’s game with tightness in his pitching shoulder and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, the team announced. Wilson’s importance to the Yankees increased when fellow lefty Zack Britton underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery a couple weeks ago, but now it looks possible that the club will begin the year without the top two southpaw setup men in its bullpen. Wilson was a notable offseason pickup for the Yankees, who signed him to a one-year, $4MM guarantee.
  • In further unfortunate news for the Yankees, the right hand/wrist issue that has kept third baseman/outfielder Miguel Andujar out for the past week isn’t healing quickly. Andujar won’t return to game action “anytime soon,” manager Aaron Boone informed Erik Boland of Newsday and other reporters. Health problems have slowed Andujar since he burst on the scene with a terrific rookie campaign in 2018. Shoulder troubles limited him to 12 games in 2019, when Gio Urshela took his third base job, and then he hit an uninspiring .242/.277/.355 with one homer in 65 plate appearances last year. Even if he stayed healthy this spring, Andujar probably would not have earned a major league roster spot.
  • The Blue Jays will go without injured closer Kirby Yates to start the season, but they won’t designate one pitcher to replace him, manager Charlie Montoyo told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other media. Jordan Romano, Rafael Dolis, David Phelps and Tyler Chatwood are all in the running for high-leverage innings with Yates on the shelf.
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