Yanks’ Voit needs knee surgery, giving chance for Jay Bruce
TAMPA, FLA. » Major league home run champion Luke Voit needs knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear, an injury that opened a New York Yankees roster spot for Jay Bruce on Saturday as a converted first baseman.
Voit will not have any baseball activities for three weeks after the operation on his left knee, manager Aaron Boone said. Voit is expected back in May.
“Let’s have the surgery, see how the early days are and then we will be able to evaluate,” Boone said.
The injury to Voit, who hit 22 homers in the pandemicshortened season, played a role in the decision to add Bruce, who attended spring training with a minor league contract.
“We’re going to be missing Luke but I know Jay Bruce is going to come in and do some special things for us,” Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge said.
Bruce is hitting .194 average with two homers and three RBIs in 31 at-bats during spring training. Bruce hit .198 with six homers and 14 RBIs for the Phillies in 96 at-bats during the pandemicshortened 2020 season.
Oberg on 60-day IL
The morning after throwing in a game, Colorado righthanded reliever Scott Oberg showed up at the training facility in Arizona with a scary sensation that’s become alltoo-familiar — numbness in his pitching arm.
The blood-clot issue — the one he hoped was finally behind
him — had returned.
After surgery to dissolve blood clots in his right elbow, the status of Oberg for the season — possibly for his career — remains unknown. The Rockies placed Oberg on the 60-day injured list.
“We’re crushed,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “This one hurts. He’s in relatively good spirits overall. From the team, we’ll support Scotty, put our arms around him when we see him.”
What’s next for Oberg will be more consultations with specialists to see what else can be done as he deals with blood clots for the fourth time in his career. He was optimistic the issue was under control after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery last September.
Pablo makes Braves
ATLANTA » Kung Fu Panda has made the opening day roster for the Atlanta Braves.
The team made a flurry
of moves to complete its 26-man group, most notably promoting nonroster infielder Pablo Sandoval to the big league roster.
Sandoval, 34, is a two-time All-Star and 2012 World Series MVP looking to revive his career in a bench role with the Braves. The portly switchhitter earned his spot with a strong spring, hitting .429 with four RBIs in 35 at-bats.
The Braves, who open the season Thursday at the Phillies, also selected the contracts of two other nonroster players: infielder Ehire Adrianza and reliever Nate Jones.
Bote wins Cubs 2B job; Hoerner optioned
MESA, ARIZ. » David Bote has won the second-base job with the Cubs, and Trevor Williams and Adbert Alzolay will round out the team’s pitching rotation at the beginning of the season.
The Cubs cleared the way for Bote when they optioned infielder Nico Hoerner to Triple-A Iowa. Bote, Hoerner and Eric Sogard had been in the mix at second, and manager David Ross said Bote was the choice.
Hoerner, a first-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft out of Stanford, had a strong spring, batting .361 with a homer and six RBIs heading into Saturday night’s game against Cincinnati.
The Cubs could delay Hoerner’s eligibility for salary arbitration until after the
2023 season if they keep him in the minors for 30 to 50 days, unless there are changes in the next collective bargaining agreement. He batted .222 last year.
Nationals send Kieboom to minors
Carter Kieboom, a firstround draft pick and the expected starting third baseman for the Nationals, was sent to the minor leagues.
Drafted in 2016, Kieboom has struggled at the plate in limited opportunities in the majors, batting .181 in 44 games over two seasons with Washington. Kieboom and Starlin Castro had been getting time at third in preseason camp.
Todd Frazier opts out
PITTSBURGH » Todd Frazier won’t be a Pittsburgh Pirate after all. The two-time AllStar infielder has opted out of his contract, making him a free agent. The 35-year-old signed a minor-league deal in February that included a clause allowing him to opt out by March 25.
Frazier hit .250 with three home runs in 12 spring training games but appeared to be the odd man out with the season opener looming next week. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton called Frazier “a good player” but said finding a spot for him on the bench might have been difficult if the Pirates carry 14 pitchers into the regular season.