Wade optioned to alternate site to make room for Odor

TAMPA — The Yankees shook up their infield Saturday. Rougned Odor, who the team acquired in a trade on Tuesday, was activated and the Bombers optioned Tyler Wade to the alternate training site.

Aaron Boone said the Odor will be “part of the infield mix” and likely be in the lineup a “couple days a week.”

“Whenever one of those guys has a day off,” Boone said of his starting infielders, “Rougned will be the guy that that plugs in for them.”

Boone said after the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Rays that there is a “decent” chance Odor would play in Sunday’s series finale against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

With Wade being optioned, Gio Urshela becomes the backup shortstop moving forward and the Yankees manager said he will possibly see a few starts there. That is a configuration they toyed with this spring, giving Urshela one start there.

“At some point I’ll give Gleyber a day off,” Boone said, “he obviously (Torres has) played every game so far, but there’ll be a game where I’ll give him a day and I’ll plan on having Gio at short on those days.”

Urshela has played 13 games at shortstop in the big leagues. He played eight with the Blue Jays in 2018 and five with Cleveland in 2017.

Odor, who played 13 of 15 games this spring at third base, was designated for assignment by the Rangers before Opening Day.

Frazier sits: Brett Gardner got the start in left field Saturday, his third start of season, to give the struggling Clint Frazier his first day off. The young left fielder has gone hitless in his last three games and has six strikeouts in his last 13 at-bats.

Gardner had a double and made a tremendous defensive play in the loss.

Boone reiterated that Frazier is still his starting left fielder, a title the Yankees bestowed on him this winter. The manager does not think Frazier’s struggles are him trying to prove he deserves the job.

“I think he’s had a few games where you struggle where he’s just been a little bit off, whether it’s timing seeing the ball, pulling the trigger or things like that,” Boone said. “I mean that’s part of the ebbs and flows of a season for even the best of hitters and a few of our guys have gotten off to a slow start.”