The New York Yankees sorely missed Miguel Andujar’s offensive production during the 2019 postseason. Owner Hal Steinbrenner hit on the lack of run-support in the ALCS against the Houston Astros before the start of the free agency, and Andujar’s .297 batting average, 27 homers, and 47 doubles (2018 stats) would have been useful in the absence of slugger, Giancarlo Stanton.
Andujar subsequently tore his Labrum early on in the 2019 season, missing the entire campaign and failing to make an impact. Despite his absence, the Yankees managed to climb to 103-wins on the back of reserve options like Gio Urshela, Brett Gardner, Cameron Maybin, and more. Side note, Aaron Boone should have won coach of the year after his incredible season featuring so many backups.
The New York Yankees are excited about Andujar’s return:
On Tuesday night, new starting shortstop for the Yankees, Gleyber Torres, opened up about the return of Miggy and his recovery process.
The third baseman, who’s learning how to play first base and left field, is “healthy right now,” Torres said. “I saw everything with him. I had a really good conversation with him about the injury. I can’t wait to see how he plays this year and can’t wait to play together with him.”
The Yankees seem confident in the third-year player’s abilities, considering his offensive production in his rookie campaign. His defensive placement is yet to be determined, but the expectation is that he will slot into first and left field during spring training.
An ideal scenario, in my opinion, would be for Andujar to land in left field where he can alternate with Stanton as the DH and defensive starter. This would allow the Yankees to mitigate a re-injury and limit fatigue between the two. Overall, the defensive starters for the Yankees will be ironed out in the coming weeks, but finding a way to maximize Andujar’s value will remain a priority.