Andujar,
TAMPA — Once a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award, Miguel Andujar now seems destined to begin his 2021 season in Triple-A as a depth piece.
The 26-year-old seems resigned to this new role.
“When I get an opportunity to get in the game, I gotta be ready to play,” said Andujar, who played six innings at third base in the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Orioles. “That’s the way I see it.”
That could be a tough opportunity to come by. Gio Urshela is expected to make his return from elbow surgery in Thursday’s game and take back his starting third base spot. The Yankees have
tried Andujar in the outfield as a way to get his bat in the lineup, but they also brought in veterans Derek Dietrich and Jay Bruce on minor league contracts. Lefty-hitting Dietrich plays third as well as the outfield. Bruce plays the outfield and is a lefty bat with power.
“That’s great. We have those players and it’s great for the Yankees to add players with experience like that,” Andujar said through interpreter Marlon Abreu. “But like I said, I don’t control any of that stuff. For me, (my job is) to play baseball, play at the level I’m used to and give the best I have.”
In 2018, Andujar hit .297/.328/.527 with 47 doubles, 27 homers and 92 RBI. Those numbers that got him a second-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting as had the Yankees thinking they had a future star if they could just tighten up his defense.
“I haven’t forgotten about Andujar and the coaches for sure haven’t forgotten about Miggy,” Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza said. “We know what type of player he could be. Obviously three years ago and the type of season that he had for us …”
But the first weekend of the 2019 season, Andujar injured his shoulder. He required surgery, missing the rest of the year and opening the door for Urshela.
Last season, Andujar spent more time at the Alternate Training Site than playing for the Yankees. In 2020, he batted .242 in 62 at-bats over 21 games. He was sent down to the Scranton alternate site three times.
“He got back last year and it was very difficult,” Mendoza said. “No doubt about it. It was a hard year for him, but as a coaching staff we just have to stay positive with him making sure that he’s getting his work in at every position and have him ready when his name is called.”
Andujar said he is working on his defense in the outfield and third base as much as he did last year. Additionally, he went home and played winter ball.
“I had the opportunity to play winter ball in (the Dominican Republic) and played in outfield and played at third base, working on those positions,” Andujar said. “It’s continuous work, just as always.”
CLEVELAND — Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Wednesday he couldn’t comment on his previous remarks about Mickey Callaway’s conduct due to Major League Baseball’s ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the team’s former pitching coach.
Antonetti joined Terry Francona for the manager’s Zoom availability from training camp in Arizona, a day after a story by The Athletic said several former Indians employees had come forward in the last month to say the team’s front office was aware of Callaway’s behavior.
The unidentified employees responded to Antonetti’s public comments on Feb. 4 that he didn’t know about Callaway’s lewd actions until he read a previous Athletic story.
At the time, Antonetti said “there had never been any complaints against Mickey in his time with us, either to me or to our human resources department or other leaders.”
Antonetti was asked Wednesday if he stood by his earlier comments.
“I very much want to answer that,” he said. “At this point I’m not able to. The last time we talked, the investigation had not yet started, so I had more latitude with what I was able to share. With the ongoing investigation, the most important thing is that the investigation is able to maintain its integrity, its thoroughness, its impartiality.”
On Tuesday, Francona said there was no deliberate attempt to cover up for Callaway, who was with the Indians from 2010-17 — serving as the pitching coach for five years — before he being hired as manager of the Mets.
Callaway has been suspended as the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach, pending the outcome of MLB’s investigation.