Yankees rookie Oswaldo Cabrera working at first base now

With the Yankees down two first basemen, they’re giving one in every of their most versatile younger gamers a shot on the place.

Oswaldo Cabrera, who has already began video games at proper area, shortstop, third base and second base since making his MLB debut final month, hung out working at first base on Friday afternoon with infield coach Travis Chapman.

Cabrera has by no means performed a sport at first base in his skilled profession, however with DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo on the injured listing, the Yankees got here to the rookie in the previous few days and informed him they needed to get him some apply time there. The 23-year-old was up for the problem.

“Clearly Oswaldo is a reasonably gifted defender, however we need to have that choice over there, see what it appears like, get him some reps over there simply in case one thing comes up right here over the subsequent week the place we see an avenue there,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated earlier than the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Rays.

When requested if Cabrera could be an emergency choice or a possible common starter, Boone stated, “We’ll see.”

Although LeMahieu will probably be out for at the very least the subsequent week, the Yankees have been nonetheless ready to seek out out on Friday afternoon if Rizzo could be cleared to start ramping up after he skilled complications from the epidural he just lately acquired for his again points.

The Yankees began Marwin Gonzalez (0-for-4) at first base for the third straight sport Friday towards the Rays whereas Ronald Guzman and, to a lesser extent Miguel Andujar, are their different choices on the place.

Cabrera has appeared clean defensively wherever he has performed for the Yankees, together with proper area, the place he had not performed earlier than this season.

“He’s good, he’s in a position to gradual the sport down for a youthful participant,” Boone stated. “Performs the sport with quite a lot of poise, with quite a lot of confidence. We’ve already thrown him into some distinctive conditions as a rookie participant and he’s dealt with them fantastically. So it wouldn’t shock me if he went over there and dealt with himself properly.”

Cabrera used Gonzalez’s first-base mitt on Friday, however had plans to get his personal quickly.

“I believe it’s totally different, method totally different than the opposite positions I play,” Cabrera stated. “Nevertheless it’s nearly [getting] reps day by day, to apply and see the sport.”

Giancarlo Stanton (foot) was out of the beginning lineup for a fourth straight sport Friday, however pinch-hit for a second straight sport, grounding out within the sixth inning. Boone stated he was hopeful Stanton might return to the lineup in some unspecified time in the future this weekend.

If every little thing goes in accordance with plan, Harrison Bader (plantar fasciitis) will start a rehab project on Sunday, possible with Double-A Somerset.

The middle fielder, who final performed on June 26 (for the Cardinals), will want at the very least every week’s value of rehab video games, in accordance with Boone.

That would depart Bader with, at most, two weeks of MLB video games earlier than getting into the postseason.

Earlier than the sport Friday, the Yankees positioned Jose Trevino on the paternity listing and recalled Ben Rortvedt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Rortvedt had but to make his Yankees debut after being a part of the blockbuster commerce in March with the Twins. When he joined the Yankees in spring coaching, he had a strained indirect (resulting in their commerce for Trevino) after which had arthroscopic surgical procedure to restore {a partially} torn meniscus in Could.

Josh Donaldson is predicted to return from the paternity listing on Saturday.