Sonny Gray knew he was in trouble
Gray knew early he was in for laborious outing
TORONTO — It didn’t take Sonny Gray long to understand Sunday was going to be labor intensive.
“I could tell after the first inning it was going to be one of those days where you have to piece it together and keep them off the bases for as long as you are out there,’’ Gray said following a 7-4 Yankees’ loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Thanks to a crisp curveball, Gray struck out eight in four-plus innings. But with 89 pitches and Justin Smoak on first via a leadoff single in the fifth, manager Aaron Boone called for Chad Green out of the bullpen. Green got the next three outs.
“Obviously, you are never happy with four innings. Obviously, you want to go deeper in the game and not put guys on base,’’ said Gray, who walked three and gave up seven hits.
Miguel Andujar had a chance to make the Yankees when spring training began, but the arrival of Neil Walker and Brandon Drury dashed those hopes. He didn’t have to wait long, though, to get summoned from the minors.
Andujar was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before Sunday’s loss after Billy McKinney was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left shoulder.
“We know we’re getting a really good hitter,’’ Boone said prior to the game. “He’s going to get some opportunities to play here. We feel like he adds length to our lineup.”
Not Sunday, as Andujar was hitless in four at-bats.
He went 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles in a brief stint with the Yankees last season and looked like he had a shot to open the year as the starting third baseman, with fellow prospect Gleyber Torres at second.
Despite hitting well for most of spring training — finishing with a .928 OPS — Andujar was sent down and instructed to get reps at first base, as well as third.
“We’ve been talking about playing first base since last year,” Andujar said through an interpreter. “I’ve been practicing there for quite some time now. … It’s something I’ve been working on.”
If he proves capable of playing first, Andujar could use the versatility to stick around the majors longer as Greg Bird recovers from ankle surgery.
Boone was encouraged by the report he got on right-handed reliever Adam Warren, who was forced out of Saturday’s game after taking a grounder off his right ankle.
“Probably better than I thought,” Boone said. “He was out playing catch today, so we are pretty optimistic. We hope it’s not a DL situation.’’
Warren didn’t sound like it was that severe.
“It feels fine. I played catch. I feel really good about it,’’ he said. Boone’s stance on Jacoby
Ellsbury returning from the DL on Thursday, the first day the center fielder is eligible, didn’t change from Saturday to Sunday.
“I am hopeful, but not expecting anything. We are just following it day-to-day,’’ Boone said of Ellsbury, who is working out in Tampa. “Obviously we could really use him but the bottom line is he has to be healthy, too, and he has to be ready. Once we get him here we want to rely on him.’’
The need for Ellsbury, who missed most of spring training with a right oblique strain, first surfaced when
Aaron Hicks suffered a right intercostal injury in the first game of the season Thursday. Since then, Brett Gardner started twice in center and Aaron Judge once. Further complicating the matter is McKinney going on the DL on Saturday.
At first when McKinney hit the left-field wall at Rogers Centre it was feared he suffered a concussion.
“Head-wise he is OK,’’ Boone said Sunday. “That was my biggest concern when I went out there. The first thing when I went out there I was locked into his eyes and make sure he was sound and alert. That was my biggest issue. He kept saying he was fine there, but that ‘my shoulder is a little sore.’ ”
McKinney remained in the game for one batter, but when he made a throw to second base Boone removed him.
As for Clint Frazier, who hasn’t played in a game since suffering a concussion Feb. 24, he isn’t as close to returning as Ellsbury.
“Getting into [minor league] games is the next step,’’ Boone said.