Yankees suspend top prospect Mateo
CHICAGO — According to a source with knowledge of the situation top Yankees prospect Jorge Mateo expressed his displeasure about not getting promoted from Single-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton but there were indications that might not have been the reason the infielder was hit with a two-week suspension that was announced Wednesday night.
Because he will be suspended, Mateo will not participate in the Futures Game this Sunday in San Diego. News of the suspension was deliv- ered through the Yankees public relations department and general manager Brian Cashman wasn’t available to comment on the situation.
Mateo, 21, is considered by many in and out of the organization as a future big leaguer thanks to a live bat and blinding speed. The 6-foot, 190-pound right-handed hitter impressed the big league coaching staff in spring training. Early this season, the Yankees started to play him at second base in addition to shortstop.
In 78 games this season Mateo is batting .266 with a .323 on-base percentage and has 26 stolen bases in 38 attempts. After he batted .337 in April, there was talk of moving Mateo to Trenton, but that stalled when he hit .270 in May and .194 in June.
Last year at Single-A Charleston and Tampa, Mateo hit .321 in 21 games for Tampa and combined to steal 82 bases in 99 attempts.
The White Sox inquired on Wednesday about Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez. The talks never got serious when, a source in the know said, the Yankees’ asking price was “far too high.’’
The White Sox are looking for a catcher after placing Alex Avila on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury.
Carlos Beltran’s balky right hamstring is killing Alex Rodriguez’s playing time.
One night after returning Beltran to right field, manager Joe Girardi used the switch-hitting All-Star as the designated hitter on Wednesday night against White Sox righthander Miguel Gonzalez. Beltran went 0-for-4 and struck out once in the Yankees’ 5-0 loss.
“We are worried about [the ham- string] and trying to be protective of it,’’ Girardi said. “The issue is not gone, so he is probably going to DH more than play the outfield.’’
That means limited at-bats for Rodriguez, who went 1-for-6 in Tuesday’s 9-0 win, but who didn’t play Monday when Beltran returned from the injury as the DH, or Wednesday.
As long as Girardi uses Beltran, who leads the club in homers (19), RBIs (54) and average (.297) as the DH there is very little use for Rodriguez, who doesn’t figure in his plans as a position player except in an emergency.