After being thrashed 9-2 against the Washington Nationals, the New York Yankees made several major changes to their lineup on Sunday afternoon.
It seems as if manager Aaron Boone is not afraid to start Miguel Andujar in left field, as he inserted him into the lineup before today’s game.
Andujar, who has been working in left field this off-season, provides more offensive capabilities, which is why he’s being inserted. While he missed a majority of 2019 with a torn labrum, he was the runner up for Rookie of the Year in 2018.
Andujar posted a .297 batting average was 27 home runs and 92 RBIs in 2018. Andujar showed off his offensive prowess two years ago, and he will be supplementing Brett Gardner, who struck out three times on Opening Day against the Nationals and has yet to earn a hit over two games.
That wasn’t the only outfield change that was made, as Mike Tauchman will play in centerfield in place of Aaron Hicks. Hicks has one hit over seven at-bats, striking out two times so far this season.
The final change was at catcher, as the Yankees will feature Kyle Higashioka over Gary Sanchez, likely giving him a rest after two tough games. He is another hitter who is struggling at the plate, hitting .000 over seven at-bats. Kyle hit .214 with three homers and 11 RBIs last season with the Bombers, and receiving the start today is a testament to the confidence Boone has in the backup catcher.
The Yankees’ starting pitcher:
Yankees will walk out Jonathan Loaisiga as they’re starting pitcher on Sunday. In 2019, Loaisiga earned a 4.55 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 15 games. With Tanaka missing time due to concussion symptoms following a Giancarlo Stanton comebacker to the head, Loaisiga is simply filling in in the meantime.
On the other side, the Nationals will be featuring Patrick Corbin, another stellar arm.