BOSTON — Mason Williams has had a star-crossed career with the Yankees so far, showing glimpses of what made him a first-round pick, but also failing to stay healthy.
On Friday, he was in the starting lineup for the first time with the Yankees since June 19, 2015 — when he suffered a shoulder injury diving back into first base and was sidelined the rest of the season.
He singled twice and scored a run in an otherwise ugly 7-4 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Williams homered in his first major league game last year and went 6-for-21 before being sidelined after shoulder surgery. He was hitting well of late at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being called up after Aaron Judge was lost for the rest of the regular season with an oblique injury.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been [in the lineup],” Williams said before the game. “It was a long process, so it’s kind of surreal to be back.”
Despite all of the setbacks, manager Joe Girardi still has high hopes for the 25-year-old.
“I think he’s [still] a prospect,” Girardi said. “He came on strong last year and was playing at a pretty high level when we called him up. He had a really good at-bat [Thursday] night.”
“I just want to play my game and be me,” Williams said. “I feel like if I’m myself, good things will happen.”
Despite the Yankees’ fading playoff hopes, general manager Brian Cashman praised Girardi before the game — especially how he has worked with the younger players after the team jettisoned several veterans at the trade deadline.
“It’s been a long season, I think,” Cashman said. “A lot of different story lines. He’s managed it all well.”
After a disappointing first half when they were given up for dead by most, the Yankees have crept up the standings.
“The reason we made those deals [at the deadline], the season was a failure,” Cashman said.
Since then, the Yankees became an unexpected entry into the postseason picture largely on the back of the inexperienced players added to the roster.
“We had a plug-and-play team and we felt it was a team ready to compete out of the gate,” Cashman said. “It didn’t work out that way. We made an audible and he’s adjusted well every step of the way.”
David Ortiz knows what to expect on Sept. 29, when the Yankees honor him with a pregame ceremony in The Bronx.
“I’m definitely getting booed, I’m ready for that,” Ortiz said. “When I get booed at Yankee Stadium, it’s like people cheering for me, I’m so used to it. But I’m always going to respect Yankee fans.”
Cashman has witnessed as much of Ortiz’s damage as anyone from an opponents’ perspective and is supportive of the idea of celebrating Ortiz’s career.
“The game has changed a lot over the years. The last decade, great players — he falls in that category — roll through their last season and you see a lot of teams paying their respects,” Cashman said. “I think David certainly has earned that throughout the game. I think it is appropriate.”
Though Cashman wouldn’t say he will be pleased to see Ortiz go, he admitted: “He has been a thorn in our side, no doubt about it. And I say that with great respect.”
Mark Teixeira has seen his playing time dwindle because of knee and neck woes — and although he returned Friday, Girardi put him at eighth in the order, from where he went 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs.
“It’s not something I’ve done a lot of,” Girardi said. “The guys in front of him have had success off [Friday starter Clay] Buchholz.” … Brett Gardner snapped a string of 20 straight hitless plate appearances with a seventh-inning double. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. In his hitless string, Gardner had four walks and five strikeouts.