On Friday night, the New York Yankees fielded an embarrassingly weak lineup against the Texas Rangers. The absence of Aaron Judge made it clear that the Bombers were lacking competitive talent, and their performance reflected this. They managed just five hits, and the bottom half of the order, featuring Oswaldo Cabrera, Franchy Cordero, Aaron Hicks, and Kyle Higashioka, was difficult to watch.
Following the game, manager Aaron Boone swiftly sent Cordero back to Triple-A, given his failure to reach base in eight consecutive games, during which he struck out nine times and seven times in the last three games combined.
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The Yankees needed to make a change:
Cordero’s numbers have plummeted after a strong start, which included four home runs and 11 RBIs. He now has a .151 batting average, .182 OBP, 36.4% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate, and a 53 wRC+. Defensively, he has also made several errors, registering -1 outs above average across 129 innings.
To replace Cordero, the Yankees called up Triple-A standout Jake Bauers, who has had an impressive beginning to the year in 21 minor league games. He boasts a .304 batting average, .448 OBP, .797 SLG, and a 1.245 OPS. Bauers has already hit nine home runs and recorded 20 RBIs with five stolen bases.
At 27 years old, the versatile journeyman Bauers provides a left-handed bat and can play both corner outfield positions as well as first base. He has accumulated 328 MLB games of experience, with a career average of .213 and a .307 OBP.
With the Yankees’ outfield experiencing significant offensive struggles, the addition of fresh legs should benefit the team. Although Judge is still awaiting MRI results, the initial prognosis suggests that his injury is not severe, and he should return within a few days or, at most, take a brief rest during a short IL stint.