BOSTON — The Yankees need a new left fielder immediately.
Rookie Zoilo Almonte left last night’s 4-2 loss to the Red Sox in the fifth inning after spraining his left ankle. X-rays were negative, but after the game Almonte’s foot was in a boot, he was using crutches and manager Joe Girardi said he would be going on the disabled list, with a replacement move to come today.
Outfielders Melky Mesa and Thomas Neal, The Scranton Times-Tribune tweeted, were both being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, meaning the Yankees would need to make a second move, in addition to placing Almonte on the DL. They could designate for assignment either Alberto Gonzalez or Brent Lillibridge (who was recalled yesterday to replace Derek Jeter when the shortstop went on the DL). The Yankees would still be covered on the left side of the infield with Eduardo Nunez, Luis Cruz and either Gonzalez or Lillibridge.
General manager Brian Cashman ruled out Alex Rodriguez as a candidate to replace Almonte. Both Neal and Mesa are on the 40-man roster.
While losing Almonte is hardly akin to losing Curtis Granderson or Brett Gardner, he has been the starting left fielder for the last month and batted fifth last night against lefty starter Felix Doubront.
Almonte was a solid find for the Yankees initially, hitting .314 (16-for-51) in his first 15 games and posting a .796 OPS. He’s cooled down since, batting just .189 (7-for-37) in his last 11 games with a sub-.500 OPS. Still, the switch-hitter gave Girardi options and depth.
Almonte sprained his ankle in the second inning while running to first base on a double-play grounder.
“It started hurting right away after the play,” he said, “but I did try running to see if it would get better.”
It’s unclear how the Yankees will handle left field if both Neal and Mesa are recalled.
* The Yankees like the arm, but the price is scary.
That’s the feeling about right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, a Cuban refugee who has worked out for numerous major league scouts, including the Yankees, in Tijuana, Mexico.
“The money is out of line,’’ said a person with knowledge of the Yankees’ interest in the 26-year-old. “There is talk of him getting four years for $48 million. There is too much risk involved.’’
The Dodgers are considered the favorites to land Gonzalez, whom agent Jaime Torres believes will be able to pitch in the big leagues this year. A deal is possible sometime next week.
* Lillibridge became the seventh third baseman used by the Yankees this season when he started last night. Lillibridge went 0-for-3 with a walk and shifted to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning after Gardner was ejected and Almonte sprained his left ankle.
Lillibridge, whom Yankees fans may remember for two sensational catches at Yankee Stadium in 2011 as a White Sox right fielder to rob Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano of hits, was elevated from Triple-A when Jeter landed on the DL.
“It’s a crazy business, starting from where I was at the beginning of the season and then the trade to Triple-A where I played and kind of showcased my stuff. Hopefully my swing continues and I can really help out here,’’ said Lillibridge, who followed David Adams, Cruz, Gonzalez, Chris Nelson, Jayson Nix and Kevin Youkilis at third.
In order to make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees gave Brennan Boesch his unconditional release. Boesch’s agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, said the move was strictly because the Yankees needed a spot on the 40-man roster.
“The Yankees’ decision to release Brennan Boesch is a matter of timing not talent, and they made that clear to Brennan,’’ said Van Wagenen of CAA Sports. “Brennan’s rehab on his shoulder is going well and he expects to be at full strength and able to make a meaningful contribution to a major league team in early August.”
Boesch appeared in eight games for SWB after being sent out by the Yankees on June 3. He batted .200 (6-for-3) before suffering a left shoulder injury. In 23games for the Yankees he batted .275 (14-for-51).
In 23 games at SWB, Lillibridge batted .341 (28-for-82) with seven homers and 15 RBIs. He was acquired from the Cubs in late June after being designated for assignment. In nine games with the Cubs, the right-handed hitter went 1-for-24 (.042)
Lillibridge played six games for SWB at third. He prefers second base, but understands there is no chance of him playing there unless Robinson Cano goes down.
“I like second base, but he’s pretty locked over there, so I think we can go ahead and scratch that one out,’’ said Lillibridge, who played for the White Sox, Red Sox and Indians before the Cubs. “Honestly, I just like being in the lineup swinging the bat.’’
* The first week of August remains the Yankees’ hope for Granderson to return from the DL. Granderson (fractured left pinkie) started taking batting practice Tuesday in Tampa.
“Hopefully by the first week of August we’ll have him fully and maybe towards a week to 10 days from now, we can be looking at a rehab assignment somewhere,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said.
Cashman said David Phelps (strained right forearm) and Nix (strained right hamstring) will require minor league rehab assignments.
“I think we’re looking at Phelps maybe Tuesday I think, around the 24th maybe, 23rd-24th [for Nix],’’ Cashman said.
Asked if Phelps would rejoin the rotation, Cashman said, “I don’t know. Couldn’t tell you that. Have to wait and see.”|
* Cano admitted he was in pain from being hit in the leg by a 97 mph Matt Harvey fastball in the All-Star Game. But the fact he walked to first — even though he later left the game — was a good sign.
“I wasn’t happy when I got hit but I got a chance to walk to first. Most of the times you get hit there and it’s hard to walk in the beginning,” said Cano, who started and went 1-for-3 last night to increase a season-high hitting streak to 10 games. “But I was walking and it was just tight and not like bad, bad pain.”
As the world knows, the leg stiffened, Cano exited, Harvey apologized. Later, following a round of negative X-rays, Cano was deemed medically fit.
“I feel good. It wasn’t nothing bad. It was just a contusion on my right quad. Working fine and it feels good,” said Cano. “The first day, it felt a little tight. No pain or anything. I just move around and it feels pretty good.”
* Coming off a solid outing Thursday night at Triple-A, Michael Pineda is on Cashman’s radar.
“He’s healthy and he’s definitely a choice for us. Depending on what’s occurring up here,’’ Cashman said.
Pineda threw 4 2/3 shutout innings and fanned eight against Louisville. He is 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA in three Triple-A games.
* Not being able to add a much-needed bat to the lineup hasn’t been for a lack of trying.
“Certainly been actively busy making phone calls and work through the break, but obviously we have not completed anything,” Cashman said. “We’re here in Fenway and starting the second half, but the phone calls were taking place. But nothing to show for it.
“I can’t project where we’ll be in three weeks or two and a half weeks or whatever. I just know that right now we’re interested in adding and reinforcing and getting better. We know we’re going to get better when guys come back, but we still obviously need to improve ourselves in the short term and that’s our effort. We are not looking about anything else other than that.”
Cashman said the market for a bat is weak.
“It has nothing to do with our system,” he said. “I think if you’re looking for offense, Exhibit A is name me the bat that’s moved already. It hasn’t. And Exhibit B is look at all the big rumors that are out there — they’re involving pitchers. It’s an offensive offensive market.”