Yankees sign Carpenter, bring up pitcher Banuelos

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Matt Carpenter was inserted to the New York Yankees’ lineup as the designated hitter after agreeing to a one-year contract on Thursday, a week after he was released from the Texas Rangers’ minor league system.

Carpenter entered the lineup for a series opener at Tampa Bay when center fielder Aaron Hicks was scratched shortly before game time. Aaron Judge was moved from DH to center.

“It happened fast and now I’m here and I couldn’t be more excited about it,” Carpenter said after meeting with manager Aaron Boone at Tropicana Field.

“We just had a quick conversation about it but my response to him is that’s I’m excited to put a uniform on and be part of the best team in baseball right now,” Carpenter said. “I’m just fired up to be here. I’m going to hit the ground running.”

Injury-hit New York also selected the contract of 31-year-old left-hander Manny Banuelos from Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre. Banuelos was in the Yankees’ minor league system from 2008-14 but never made it up to the big league club during that time.

Carpenter, 36, gets a contract paying a $1 million salary while in the major leagues and $200,000 while in the minors. A three-time All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit .275 with six homers and 19 RBIs in 21 games for Round Round of the Triple-A Pacific Coast

League.

Carpenter spent the previous 11 seasons with the Cardinals, batting .262 with 155 homers and 576 RBIs. He hit .169 last year with three homers and 21 RBIs in 207 at-bats.

He played 19 games at first this year, one at third and two at designated hitter.

DJ LeMahieu. who has shared time at third base with Josh Donaldson while also playing first and second, missed the final two games of a series against Baltimore because of a sore left wrist and was not in Thursday night’s starting lineup.

Donaldson remained in New York with a cough and felt better after intravenous fluids, according to Boone. Donaldson remains negative for COVID-19.