Andujar to see hand specialist
DUNEDIN, FLA. — Miguel Andujar has been shut down with a right wrist injury. The onetime Rookie of the Year candidate who was bumped out of his job by Gio Urshela when injured in 2019, has not played since Wednesday night and will see a specialist today.
“He’s dealing with a sore hand and wrist,” Aaron Boone said. “I think he’s seeing a hand specialist (today), along with (Robinson) Chirinos to kind of really get a diagnosis of exactly what’s going on there. So we’ve held them back because he’s been dealing with a sore wrist and hand.”
After missing most of the 2019 season and his starting spot, Andujar struggled in sparse playing time last season. To try to get his swing back, Andujar played winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. That is where he first felt the wrist/hand issue.
“It’s something he felt a little bit this winter and winter ball he took a swing, but it’s kind of calmed down and you know he was obviously playing and fine and then he noticed it in the last game he played. It just got a little more sore again,” the Boone explained. “So, yeah, so we’ve kind of been treating it here these last several days.”
Andujar had more of a chance to play third this spring with Urshela being eased back after offseason surgery to remove a bone chip from his right elbow. He played left field on Wednesday night. Still, the Yankees are not only looking for where to use Andujar — they have tried him in left field — but also have had him on the trade block for almost a year now.
Andujar slashed .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and 47 doubles in 606 atbats in his rookie season. In 21 games last season, Andujar hit .242 with a home run and nine strikeouts in 62 at-bats.
Andujar was 2-for-15 in the spring.
GAMESMANSHIP
The Blue Jays are clearly taking aim at the Yankees this season. The young team split 10 games against the Yankees in 2020 and added All-Star center fielder George Springer this winter. They are also taking every chance they see the Bombers this spring seriously.
Sunday, while the Yankees brought Deivi Garcia to start in their first spring-training meeting, the Blue Jays stashed their new starter, Steven Matz, back at the complex to throw in a simulated game. That’s something teams usually do at the end of spring training, not now.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily ratcheting up, but I think it’s just as simple as a team we’re gonna play 19 times, and especially we’re playing them a lot coming out of the gate,” Boone said. “So it’s something that we’ll consider doing and try to juggle our staff, because, usually the more a hitter can see a pitcher a little better for them at least to get a little familiarity... Usually the pitcher has the advantage... But it’s not surprising and frankly as we move forward here, it’s something that we’ll probably do a little bit as well.”
The Yankees open with the Blue Jays in the Bronx, then return to Dunedin to face the Blue Jays, who will play here because of strict coronavirus travel restrictions in Canada.
Some pitchers who line up for an early regular-season start against a team they will see late in spring training will ask to not face a team to keep their advantage. Boone said the Yankees will discuss it with their pitcher.
“It’s a little of both. We’ll kind of make that decision but also involve them,” Boone said. “Some guys don’t really care and want to get their work in and want to do it in a game. Some guys have no issue pitching in a live BP or sim game on a backfield to build up their pitch count so it’s a conversation we have with the individual and then ultimately make a decision.”
Turns out the Yankees had problems enough with Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah, who struck out seven straight Bombers.