Miguel Andujar’s return to the field will likely be short-lived.
Following a left knee contusion suffered by Gio Urshela Wednesday night, Andujar made just his second start at third base Thursday since returning to the Yankees from a tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. However, Urshela has felt significant improvement, and is expected to return to the lineup Friday against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Even though Andujar is likely to slide back to designated hitter when Urshela returns, manager Aaron Boone was hopeful the rare start at third would help rebuild the confidence of last year’s American League Rookie of the Year runner-up, who entered Thursday hitless in 13 straight at-bats.
“He’s such a good player, so he’s one of those guys we want to get rolling and hopefully [this is] the start of that, getting to play in the field,” Boone said. “Hopefully he can go out and start building some momentum into his season, which has obviously been interrupted.”
Just three games into the season, Andujar suffered the shoulder injury, keeping him out for more than a month. Since returning, the 24-year-old has failed to showcase even a semblance of the brilliance he routinely displayed during his rookie year.
Andujar, who hit .294 with 27 homers, 92 RBIs and 47 doubles last year, went 2-for-19 in his first five games since returning, and entered Thursday’s game against the Mariners without an extra-base hit on the season.
“He’s just not there yet, although he’s hit a number of balls on the button,” Boone said following Wednesday’s loss. “He lined out to the fence two nights ago where it was probably 105 [mph] off the bat where he really smoked it. He just missed a home run down the line.“He’s not totally locked in like when Miggy really gets it rolling and he’s hanging line drives it seems every at-bat. He’ll get there. There’s no doubt in my mind. He’s that good of a hitter. But he has to just get through this little stretch where he’s finding his way, and he will.”
Reclaiming the starting spot at third will be more challenging.
Though Urshela is batting .346 with two home runs, the 27-year-old is unlikely to maintain his incredible offensive pace, having entered this year a .225 hitter in 167 career games. But the Colombia native’s strong defense could keep Urshela at third for some time.
During a healthy and confidence-infused first season, Andujar finished with the fourth-most errors (15) in the majors. On Thursday, the struggling sophomore took the field for the first time since Saturday, when Andujar committed two throwing errors in his first game following the shoulder injury.
“I think he was ready to go then,” Boone said. “I think there’s something to be said for he was coming back, a lot of his work was around getting the shoulder right … hopefully you don’t think about the shoulder and it’s behind him now, and now go out and make the plays you’re capable of making.”
What Andujar is capable of in the field is still unclear.
“I think it’s important that he builds on [this] … even going back to last year where it was obviously something talked about a lot, I thought he made really good strides for a guy that when you look back at his season,” Boone said.
“I thought he had a great winter and a great spring as far as the defensive improvements he continues to make. Now, the shoulder setback, that obviously interrupted his work and some of the things he was doing. … It’s important that he trusts in that, because he’s certainly capable of it.”