The New York Yankees have been shuffling pieces around the roster over the past week, and the latest move sends infielder Jorbit Vivas back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Vivas was called up briefly when outfielder Trent Grisham went on paternity leave earlier this week. But with Grisham expected back in the lineup for Friday’s series opener vs the Blue Jays, the Yankees decided to return Vivas to the minors.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Vivas has been crushing it in Triple-A
Vivas may have been optioned, but he’s doing everything in his power to stay top of mind for the Yankees’ front office.
In 20 games with Scranton this season, the 23-year-old is slashing .342/.432/.493 with two homers and 14 RBIs. Even more impressive? He’s striking out just 4.5% of the time and walking at an 11.2% clip.
That kind of discipline is rare — and Vivas pairs it with a 153 wRC+, meaning he’s been 53% better than the average Triple-A hitter this season.
The Yankees have internal depth — but it’s shaky
Right now, the Yankees are relying on a platoon of Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera to handle third base.
DJ LeMahieu is also finishing up a rehab assignment and is expected back shortly, which could further cloud the infield picture. LeMahieu likely steps in against left-handed pitching, potentially pushing Peraza or Cabrera out of the mix depending on the matchup.
But if Vivas continues to rake in Triple-A, it’s going to be hard to ignore his production for long.
The prospect they quietly stole from LA
The Yankees picked up Vivas from the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2024 as part of a lower-profile move. At the time, the trade didn’t make much noise.
But now, it looks like they may have landed a sneaky good piece.
Vivas has had stretches of inconsistency in the minors, but this year might be different. He’s showing better pitch recognition, tapping into his line-drive power, and playing a clean infield.
That’s the kind of package that could turn into a bench weapon — or more — if the Yankees need infield help later in the season.
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