PHILADELPHIA — Amed Rosario is back with the Yankees, showing his prowess against left-handed pitchers, something he’s been doing well for the first couple of months this season.
However, the past two months have seen left-handed pitchers coming out on top against the Yankees’ utility players.
Even with the Yankees short-handed—missing solid hitters like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton—Rosario managed to triple on Sunday night in the series finale, an 11-4 win against Phillies’ lefty Christopher Sanchez at Citizens Bank Park.
Manager Aaron Boone noted, “If you watch his at-bats, particularly against lefties, his numbers might not reflect it, but he’s finding himself in the right situations. He’s improving a bit.”
By May 26, Rosario had gone up against left-handers 50 times, boasting a .273 batting average and an OPS of .888. Yet, things took a downturn as he hit just .135 with a .408 OPS in his next 56 at-bats against lefties leading into Sunday.
He came into the game having gone 1-for-17 in his last attempts.
Before being replaced by pinch hitter Ryan McMahon in the ninth, Rosario struck out twice and notched just one hit in four at-bats.
Despite the lack of tangible results lately, Rosario remains a key component in the Yankees lineup against many left-handed pitchers, though options for a replacement are limited. At 30, he’s still managing an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph and an 11.1 percent barrel rate, which places him in the upper half of the league. That gives the Yankees some hope for his rebound.
“He seems to be feeling good and looks like he could be a game-changer versus lefties,” Boone said. “He may not have produced results recently, but I still believe he will improve.”
Judge and Stanton are set to travel to Chicago for upcoming series with the White Sox and Cubs.
“Some trainers will accompany the team, which may help,” Boone added.
On another note, catcher Shea Langeliers is no longer on the list of potential acquisitions for the Yankees as the trade deadline approaches. The Athletics placed him on injured reserve due to a torn meniscus, which could keep him out for the rest of the season.
Acquiring Langeliers would be challenging since he’s under contract through 2028, and injuries have made any potential trade nearly impossible.
Clark Schmidt, recovering from Tommy John surgery, faced a batter for the second time on Sunday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as he continues his rehabilitation process. Meanwhile, Max Fried is expected to start Monday against the White Sox, allowing Gerrit Cole an extra day’s rest before his start on Tuesday after both pitched during Wednesday’s doubleheader.
