Clint Frazier becomes 15th Yankee to go on injured list
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Clint Frazier became the Yankees' 15th player to go on the injured list, sidelined because of a sprained left ankle, and New York acquired Cameron Maybin from the Cleveland Indians for $25,000 to gain outfield depth.
Frazier, a 24-year-old outfielder, is hitting .324 with six homers and 17 RBIs.
Frazier was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday. He was hurt Monday night sliding into second base on a pickoff attempt when he became entangled with shortstop Andrelton Simmons in the 12th inning against the Los Angeles Angels. Frazier remained in the game and scored and finished New York's 14-inning win.
The ankle swelled, and he didn't play Tuesday or Wednesday, when he had an MRI.
After a 2018 season wrecked by a spring training concussion, Frazier started this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was called up because of the Yankees' spate of injuries.
New York's injured list currently includes outfielders Aaron Judge (left oblique muscle), Giancarlo Stanton (strained left biceps), Aaron Hicks (strained left lower back) and Jacoby Ellsbury (several ailments); shortstops Didi Gregorius (Tommy John surgery) and Troy Tulowitzki (strained left calf); third baseman Miguel Andújar (torn labrum in right shoulder), first baseman Greg Bird (torn plantar fascia in left foot) and pitchers Luis Severino (strained latissimus dorsi muscle), Dellin Betances (right shoulder impingement), Jordan Montgomery and Ben Heller (both recovering from Tommy John surgery).
Maybin was hitting .216 (11 for 51) with three doubles and five RBIs in 14 games with Cleveland's Triple-A Columbus farm team. The 32-year-old hit .249 with four homers, 28 RBIs and 10 steals in 129 games and 342 at-bats last year for Miami and Seattle.
A veteran of 12 big league seasons, Maybin has a .254 average with 60 homers, 315 RBIs and 174 steals. He was a member of Houston's championship team in 2017.
Manager Aaron Boone said Maybin was expected to be in uniform for Thursday night's game against the Angels.
"He has the ability to play all outfield positions and obviously right now we're a little left-handed out there," Boone said. "We have two lefties coming up in (a series at) San Francisco. He's a good athlete with versatility to so he provides us with good flexibility."
Only two Yankees have come off the IL: catcher Gary Sánchez was activated Wednesday and went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts and an error after recovering from a strained left calf, and left-hander CC Sabathia returned from an offseason heart procedure on April 13 and has made three starts.
Andújar is making progress with a shoulder injury and could be ready to return to the major leagues in a week. Andújar is expected to play as many as five innings in an extended spring training game Friday.
Tulowitzki passed a running test Wednesday and could be ready for an extended spring game by Sunday.
New York made Frazier's roster move retroactive to Tuesday and recalled right-hander Joseph Harvey from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees also optioned right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga to Scranton after he pitched three innings in Wednesday night's 6-5 win at the Angels. Severino was transferred to the 60-day IL.
In the Yankees' quickly changing bullpen, left-hander Stephen Tarpley was recalled from Scranton on Wednesday to replace right-hander Chad Green, who was demoted with a 16.43 ERA after he allowed four runs and got just one out Tuesday.
