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DJ LeMahieu continues to make progress in his restoration from a foot fracture, and based mostly on the infielder’s offseason exercises, “it appears like there was by no means an issue,” Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson stated. Though LeMahieu has but to face stay pitching, Lawson informed the New York Post’s Dan Martin that the infielder is “capable of do every little thing he must do, whether or not [the pitch] is inside, exterior, up or down.” When LeMahieu was battling his damage late final season, “typically when he got here on the market for batting apply, he’d have to come back off his again aspect and couldn’t actually rotate into the ball.”
Assuming LeMahieu is wholesome and productive, the Yankees will pencil him into the lineup day by day, whether or not at third, second or first base. It’s also attainable that if the staff is solely assured LeMahieu is wholesome, one other infielder is likely to be traded to make some additional area within the infield image. Jon Heyman of the New York Post means that along with attempting to commerce Josh Donaldson and his hefty contract, the Yankees additionally a minimum of explored attempting to maneuver Gleyber Torres or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, however clearly no offers transpired.
Kiner-Falefa is predicted to compete with star prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe for on a regular basis shortstop responsibility, whereas Torres is predicted to be the beginning second baseman. If Torres will get dealt, New York might cowl second base with some mixture of LeMahieu, Peraza, Volpe, Kiner-Falefa and Oswaldo Cabrera.
Extra from across the AL East…
- The Orioles have curiosity in buying “a defensive-minded nook outfielder who may be trusted in left discipline,” Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes. Austin Hays and Anthony Santander are slated to be the starters within the corners for Baltimore subsequent season (with Hays in left discipline and Santander in proper) and defensive metrics are considerably cut up on the glovework for each gamers. The defensive runs saved and UZR/150 metrics like Hays’ left discipline work fairly a bit, however he’s rated as a subpar defender by outs above common. Presumably the Orioles are on the lookout for extra of a veteran glove-first participant for his or her outfield combine, which additionally contains such much less skilled names as Ryan McKenna, Kyle Stowers and high prospect Colton Cowser. Franchy Cordero and Nomar Mazara may also be in camp on minor league offers, they are not recognized for his or her glovework.
- Earlier this week, Triston Casas said the Crimson Sox hadn’t but broached the topic of an early-career contract extension, however he could be open to discussing such a deal. The identical is true for one more up-and-coming Sox star, as Brayan Bello informed Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and his representatives and the Crimson Sox “haven’t had that dialog but, [but] I might positively hear.” Like Casas, Bello is 23 years previous and made his MLB debut final season, with the right-hander delivering a 4.71 ERA over his first 57 1/3 innings within the Present. Bello doesn’t have Casas’ standing as a staple of top-100 prospect lists, however he’s nonetheless a well-regarded younger pitcher — and even perhaps extra vital to Boston’s long-term plans given the group’s current struggles at growing homegrown arms. Though a long-term extension may restrict Bello’s incomes potential if he grows into being a constant huge league-caliber pitcher, he may also have curiosity in locking within the first assured payday of his professional profession, as Bello acquired solely a $28K bonus as a global prospect in 2017.
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