WELCOME ABOARD! First baseman Mark Reynolds hits a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the Yankees in the second inning of last night’s 10-3 rout of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. (
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BOSTON — Mark Reynolds took some time to work on his swing after being released by the Indians last week.
Perhaps that should be expected when a veteran slugger is cut loose in the middle of the season.
But Reynolds, who homered in his first at-bat as a Yankee last night in a 10-3 win over the Red Sox, went home to Arizona and worked only on his golf swing.
He didn’t take any cuts with a bat.
“Not one,” said Reynolds, who will platoon with lefty-hitting Lyle Overbay at first base and fill in at third. “I did lift weights and throw, but as far as hitting goes, I just totally cleared my head.”
That followed a miserable stretch during which he had just four homers and 19 RBIs — to go along with 91 strikeouts — in his final 256 plate appearances with Cleveland. He hadn’t played since Aug. 4.
“I’m happy to have this chance,” Reynolds said before taking Boston lefty Felix Doubront deep with a two-run shot in the second for his first homer since June 28. “You hear the change of scenery routine and it’s true. I feel like it’s my first day in the big leagues again today with a new team and a new atmosphere.”
That atmosphere includes the circus surrounding Alex Rodriguez, who sat in the locker next to Reynolds.
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The Yankees decided to take a shot on the 30-year-old because Overbay has had trouble with southpaws all season.
“He lost his swing out there,” one AL scout said of Reynolds’ last days in Cleveland. “But he’s lost his swing before and gotten it back in a flash. This stretch just went on for longer than most.”
Reynolds attributed the lack of production to several factors.
“The snowball effect kind of happened and I lost confidence,” Reynolds said. “I think the staff [in Cleveland] lost confidence [in me] and wanted to get young kids playing time.”
And Reynolds was the odd man out.
The end, he said, was “amicable.”
“Things started to get in my head a little bit and then I was getting spotty playing time,” Reynolds said. “I couldn’t really get out of it.”
Reynolds was a consideration for the Yankees last offseason, but the Indians moved on him first and Kevin Youkilis ended up being the right-handed corner infielder in The Bronx.
Youkilis remains out with a back injury and with Mark Teixeira out for the season following wrist surgery, Overbay was overexposed.
“I just needed a chance to play,” said Reynolds, who joked the time off might lead to a new training regimen. “Maybe I just need to sit on the couch and come out and play.”