Yankees need to call up Brandon Drury for series with the Red Sox

Brandon Drury continues to rake at Triple-A and prove that he belongs on the Yankees big league roster. With the Red Sox coming to town this weekend for a crucial three-game set now is the perfect time to call him back up.

As first baseman Greg Bird and his back up Neil Walker continue to struggle mightily this month it’s time the Yankees see what Drury can do in their place. Drury has deserved a call-up for a while now but because of the emergence of Miguel Andujar, there hasn’t been anywhere for him to play and he’s been stuck in Scranton.

That was until Drury switched over from his customary spot at third base to first where he’s recently been getting more reps. He’s now playing twice a week at first for Scranton which could be a sign that the Yankees are considering calling him up sometime soon.

Drury might not be the most polished first baseman defensively but he seems to be versatile enough to handle the position. If that’s the case then the Yankees have to consider bringing him up before this weekend’s massive showdown with the rival Red Sox.

When the Red Sox come to the Bronx they plan on having three left-handed starters take the mound. Eduardo Rodriguez will pitch Friday night, Chris Sale on Saturday and David Price will face off against Luis Severino Sunday night. The Yankees would prefer to stack their lineup with right-handed hitters and Drury would be the best possible option to play all three games at first instead of Bird or Walker. Especially now with Gary Sanchez out of the lineup, the Yankees could really use another right-handed bat with pop.

Walker is a switch hitter but he’s been awful of late and for the season he’s batting .147 from the right side. The lefty-swinging Bird has been even worse, batting .071 against southpaws since his return. Drury has been on fire ever since he arrived in Scranton back in May hitting .321 overall and an incredible .370 against left-handers.

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Personally, I think if the Yankees aren’t going to DFA Walker any time soon than now might be a good time to send down Bird to open up the roster spot for Drury. Tyler Austin could also be a quality option but Drury is more deserving and he’s been the better all-around hitter during his time in the big leagues.

Bird could reset down at Scranton playing in a stress-free atmosphere where he doesn’t have to worry about living up to expectations. Of course, he’d love to work out his issues at the big league level, but right now he’s hurting the team with his lack of production.

There’s no shame in Bird going back to Triple-A to work on his swing and find some results. It’s not like he’d be down there for good, just long enough until the Yankees feel like he’s put his issues behind him.

Right now the Yankees are just a .5 game up ahead of Boston in the AL East standings so every one of the remaining 13 games between the two from here on out will be of the utmost importance. These days the emphasis on winning the division is higher than it’s ever been because of the one-game wild card. At the pace they’re on right now both teams are likely to win over 100 games so the last thing they want is to find themselves playing for their postseason lives in a one game, winner takes all matchup.

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That’s why the Yankees need Brandon Drury in the lineup Friday night. They have to put their best foot forward every time they play the Red Sox and with Drury in the lineup, he gives the Yankees offense the best chance to do damage against Boston’s three left-handers.