The New York Yankees are clawing their way back into the AL East standings, having walked away with a series victory over the Oakland Athletics. Having won five of their last six games, they currently sit 4.5 games from first place, where the Boston Red Sox reside. They are 4.0 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays and are 4.0 games back in the Wild Card standings.
The offense has picked things up as of late, and the Yankees are expected to return one of their premier hitters, Luke Voit, on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. Tonight he is hitting in the 3 slot batting .182.
Featuring Voit will offer the Yankees a slugger in the middle of their batting order, and his presence should help tremendously. Voit was stellar during his rehab stint with the Double-A Somerset Patriots, and hopefully, he can carry over his success to the major league.
According to the Yankees’ PR department:
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees returned from rehab and reinstated INF Luke Voit (#59) from the 10-day injured list.
Voit had been fighting his way back after suffering an oblique strain on May 26. Last Friday, Luke recorded a home run, double, and three RBIs with the Patriots, showcasing his preparation for return.
Considering the 30-year-old slugger led the MLB with 22 homers last season, there’s no question he offers a high-octane player who can change the course of a game in a moment.
So far this season, he’s only enjoyed 50 plate appearances, recording one homer and three RBIs. A larger sample size should help him tremendously, and the Yankees will need him if they want to climb the standings. Luckily, Kansas City is a struggling team, who currently sit 32-38 on the season, having lost seven of their last nine games.
Additionally:
Additionally, RHP Darren O’Day and LHP Justin Wilson commence rehab assignments today with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.