Olney: Beltran Could Return To Lineup On Monday

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Carlos Beltran felt better during batting practice before Sunday night’s game in Baltimore than he has at all lately.

He might even be available off of the bench against Baltimore and could start for the Yankees as early as Monday night in Tampa Bay when they begin a three-game series against the Rays.

It’s been a disappointing season for Beltran, as he’s posted a .236/.305/.409 slash line with 15 home runs and 49 RBI in just 106 games played. This isn’t the type of performance the Yankees were looking for when they signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract prior to this season.

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A lot of his struggles are injury-related, as he’s played most of the season with bone spurs in his elbow. This has made it hard to swing a bat, thus hurting his performance.

Fortunately for Beltran and the Yankees, they have some time down the stretch where he can prove his value to the team.

September and the beginning of October have quite possibly been Beltran’s best months throughout his career. His career slash line during these final months of the season is .289/.367/.498 with a season high .310 BABIP as well as 62 home runs and 245 RBI.

This will be a very good opportunity for the Yankees’ outfielder.