ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If Starlin Castro and Aaron Judge had not gotten hurt, Donovan Solano and Mason Williams likely would have been part of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team that won the Triple-A title on Tuesday night.
Instead, both were in the starting lineup and delivered key hits in the Yankees’ 11-5 win over the Rays.
Williams, called up when Judge was lost for the regular season with an oblique injury, filled in as the right fielder on Wednesday because manager Joe Girardi didn’t want to overuse Aaron Hicks, who just got back from a strained hamstring.
Hitting eighth, Williams had an RBI single as the Yankees put the game away in the top of the ninth.
Solano followed with a two-run homer. It was his third hit of the night — and first major league homer since 2014, when he was with the Marlins.
Solano said he called some of his Triple-A teammates after their win on Tuesday.
“I talked with the guys and said congratulations,” Solano said. “That group was amazing. I’m proud [of] those guys.”
No doubt, they gladly would trade places with Solano, who spent parts of four seasons with Miami before signing with the Yankees last offseason.
Williams filled in for Jacoby Ellsbury in center on Tuesday before shifting to right on Wednesday.
“Those guys are contributing,” Girardi said. “They had a lot of success at Triple-A.”
Mark Teixeira played a second straight day, an uncommon occurrence as the first baseman winds down his career.
“I liked what I saw [Tuesday],” Girardi said of Teixeira, who homered on Tuesday and went 1-for-3 with a double Wednesday. “He feels OK, so I’m going to send him back out there.”
Ellsbury returned to the lineup after missing two games following his right knee bone bruise suffered on Saturday against the Red Sox, when he tried to make a sliding catch at Fenway Park. He went 0-for-5 with a walk and a run.
Chase Headley didn’t play for a third straight game, as he continues to battle back stiffness, but the third baseman reported improvement.
Brian McCann had his first four-hit game of the season. … Didi Gregorius fouled a ball off his right foot in the ninth, but remained in the game and immediately reached on an infield hit. He said, following the game, that he was OK.
Luis Severino has made 10 appearances out of the bullpen and allowed just one earned run in 21 ¹/₃ innings. His 0.42 ERA in relief is lowest among all major league relievers with more than 20 innings pitched.
“I’m feeling good out there,” Severino said. “My arm feels good. I still want to get my changeup back.”