Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been dealing with some nerves for a while now. Aaron Boone, the Yankees’ manager, mentioned that Yorvit Vivas would be seeing quite a bit of playing time.
Vivas was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday and originally came to the Yankees from the Dodgers.
He made his MLB debut during a 3-0 win against Tampa Bay, holding his own quite well.
Vivas started by grounding out to second base but then walked twice and scored during Paul Goldschmidt’s homer.
“He had quality at-bats all night,” Boone remarked about the 24-year-old.
Vivas admitted, through an interpreter, that he was indeed a bit anxious for his first game.
Currently, Chisholm is sidelined, and DJ LeMahieu is slowly recovering from a strained calf. The injection he received this week seems to have given him a decent chance at returning in a few weeks.
Aaron Judge was named AL Player of the Month on Friday, boasting an impressive .427 batting average and an OPS of 1.282 in April.
“He plays a different game compared to everyone else,” Boone said. “He’s just better than everyone else.”
Judge went on to hit a double and triple on Friday, extending his hitting streak to 12 games and raising his average to .430.
Fans chanted “MVP” after he made a catch in right field to start the top of the ninth.
Marcus Stroman began his first bullpen session on Friday while on the 15-day injured list due to left knee inflammation.
He has struggled this season, with a rough start and a 6.60 ERA through his first three outings.
Jasson Domínguez has been a standout among the Yankees’ left-handed batters, not having faced Tampa Bay’s right-handed Ryan Pepiot.
His OPS as a left-handed hitter this year is .872, compared to just .391 from the right side, but both he and the Yankees aren’t considering letting go of the 22-year-old switch hitter.
“He’s too young,” said Boone.
Domínguez felt similarly, stating, “We’ve never discussed it.”
He mentioned his timing as a right-handed hitter as his main issue, attributing it partly to the lack of left-handed pitchers he faces.
Giancarlo Stanton has officially been moved to the 60-day injured list to make room for Vivas on the roster. Meanwhile, Boone stated that Stanton is making progress in his recovery from tendonitis in both elbows.
Stanton is expected to take part in his first live session next week, facing right-hander Jake Cousins in rehab for his right elbow flexor strain.
However, Stanton won’t be able to rejoin the Yankees when eligible later this month.
Clayton Beter’s rehabilitation assignment has been bumped up from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he recuperates from a right shoulder injury.
– Additional reports by Mark W. Sanchez and Peter Botte
