Yankees Place Chris Parmelee on DL, Call Up Chad Green

The Yankees placed backup first baseman Chris Parmelee on the 15-day disabled list Friday afternoon with an injured hamstring. Triple-A starting pitcher Chad Green was called up to take his roster spot.

Parmelee had gotten off to a hot start in a Yankee uniform following an early June promotion to replace the injured Mark Teixeira. In his first two starts in pinstripes he went 4-for-8 with two homers, a double, and four RBI. The injury was sustained Thursday night as Parmelee stretched for an errant throw to first base. He was unable to walk off the field unassisted, leaving little doubt that New York had lost yet another first baseman.

The Yankees currently have their top four first base options on the disabled list with long-term injuries. Teixeira has a knee ligament tear that could potentially end his 2016 campaign, and Greg Bird and Dustin Ackley will both miss the rest of the season following shoulder surgery. The timeline for Parmelee’s recovery hasn’t been announced.

In the meantime, manager Joe Girardi confirmed that Rob Refsnyder will be New York’s everyday first baseman for the moment despite only a few weeks experience at the position. It’s notable that the team once again declined to call up first baseman Nick Swisher, despite the fact that he is the most experienced option remaining to them in the organization. With his June 15th opt-out date looming, Swisher’s reunion with the Yankees is likely nearing its end.

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The decision to call up Green instead of a position player leaves the Yankees once again with a three man bench. Austin Romine will serve as the reserve catcher as well as Refsnyder’s backup. Ronald Torreyes is the backup for the three other infielders and Aaron Hicks will back up the three outfielders. That doesn’t leave Girardi with much flexibility for pinch hitting, defensive replacements, or resting his veterans. 24-year-old first baseman and outfielder Tyler Austin, who is 8-for-22 with two homers since his recent promotion to Triple-A, might be a fit for the current roster if he continues to hit.