We are all missing
DJ LeMahieu right now. It's becoming more unlikely that he will that he will be ready to come off of the Covid injured list by the start of the season. The Yankees are already taking that into consideration.....and they have an unexpected replacement in mind. Have any guesses?
So I said unexpected, a surprising name. So that being said, I am not talking about
Tyler Wade because he is an obvious choice. So far, he has proven he can step up and handle the responsibility. He can steal bases and is very versatile, more so then anyone else....but there are a few other options that come to mind. One more surprising then others.
The Yankees could consider
Thairo Estrada or
Matt Duffy to play there. Duffy would be an interesting choice. He has played 18 games at second base and shifted around the infield for the Rays on occasion. The Yankees also have Thairo Estrada, who we got familiar with last season. He was one of the many replacement Yankees used in their injury filled season. He's had a hot start in Summer camp and already hit some home runs in intra-squad games. He hit a home run on Thursday that was a rocket into the left field seats. He's made a good, early impression.
But then comes the surprise addition of
Gio Urshela. Maybe not the obvious choice here but in a pinch it could happen. Gio was the team's regular third baseman last season but he's been taking some grounders at second base, read more
HERE.
Aaron Boone is already thinking outside of the box and I like that. We have no idea what this pandemic shortened season is going to bring us so versatility is going to be key. Baseball has always been a game of strategy, this season will be even more challenging. It's good to be proactive now rather than reactive later.
So if Gio is used at second base I guess that means
Miguel Andujar back at third base also isn't out of the question. He's not known as a great fielder, but he's been working on that and has supposedly made progress. We may have to wait and see that for ourselves, but maybe his fielding skills are catching up to his batting skills.
No matter what happens at second base, this season is definitely going to be interesting. We need all of the versatility we can get. With LeMahieu out we may see more importance on both Gio and Andujar. I still think the second base job could be Wade's job to lose at this point....but a surprise upset could happen. Who is your pick to temporarily fill second base? Comment and tell us.
--Jeana Bellezza
BYB Managing Editor
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