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NEW YORK — Miguel Andujar will keep the New York Yankees’ third base job, for now.
Brandon Drury was optioned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Monday following the end of his injury rehabilitation assignment.
Acquired from Arizona just after the start of spring training in February, the 25-year-old Drury hit .217 (5 for 23) with one homer and four RBIs in New York’s first eight games, then went on the disabled list April 7 with severe migraines that caused blurry vision.
Drury started the rehab assignment April 25 and batted .315 with two homers, seven RBIs and a .914 OPS in 11 games with the RailRiders and six with Double-A Trenton.
“I’m still not excatly where I’d like to be, but I’m stepping in the right direction,” Drury said on Friday.
The 23-year-old Andujar is among a wave of players who have sparked the Yankees to a 28-12 record, tied with AL East rival Boston for the best in the major leagues. Andujar is hitting .282 with 12 doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs. He has walked just three times in 135 plate appearances.
New York has 13 pitchers on its roster, leaving room for just three bench players. The current backups are catcher Austin Romine, infielder Ronald Torreyes and infielder-outfielder Tyler Austin. The Yankees start a trip Tuesday at Washington.
With Scranton/Wilkes-Barre off Monday, the Yankees transferred the rehab assignments of first baseman Greg Bird (right ankle surgery on March 27) and outfielder Billy McKinney (left shoulder sprain on March 31) to Trenton.
Neil Walker, originally envisioned as mostly a second baseman when the Yankees signed him in March, has played mostly at first in the absence of Bird. Gleyber Torres, a touted 21-year-old prospect, made his major league debut April 22 and has become the starting second baseman. He is hitting .319 with three doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs.
When Bird is ready to come off the disabled list later this month, Austin or Torreyes could be sent to the minors.