Yankees Rumors: Miguel Andújar promotion coming Friday?

UPDATE: Miggy’s joining the New York Yankees and Gio Urshela is reportedly avoiding the IL. Ideal scenario.

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New York Yankees fans watched injury get added to insult in the waning innings of Thursday afternoon’s series-ending loss to the Houston Astros.

Not only did Jose Altuve get “revenge” on his “haters” (who hate him because of something he definitely did) with a late, game-winning home run, but Gio Urshela left with a knee injury following a headlong dive on a hotshot down the line.

While we don’t have an update on his MRI yet, it seems safe to assume that Urshela won’t be available for the next several days (at least).

Rumor has it the Yankees have made a decision to promote his replacement — or, at least, the Yanks have decided that going with a shortened bench of Catcher/Tyler Wade/Brett Gardner makes no sense and doesn’t provide enough insurance.

So…is it time for the return of Miguel Andújar?

Rumor has it that, after another hot start at Triple-A, the Yankees have promoted the third baseman/left fielder on Friday — at least, according to his Dominican Winter League team, the Toros Del Este.

Yankees Rumors: Did we…just promote Miguel Andújar?

The translation? “They called the man. Miguel Andújar is going back to the Major Leagues.”

Now, there’s a slight chance the Toros are operating under the same assumption we all were early Thursday night -0 that Andújar had been pulled from SWB’s game in the third inning, seemingly ticketed for the Bronx.

That rumor turned out to be an MiLB Gameday glitch; Andújar obviously remained in the game, and it was actually Kyle Holder who left early.

How do we know he stayed in? Well, because he went on to smack two homer monster helicopter homers, raising his average to .462 of course.

If Andújar is back, we’re certainly ready to see what he can produce — and whether he can viably be used in left or right field to spell the struggling Clint Frazier or to give Aaron Judge a DH day or two.

Andújar’s 2019 was a lost season; he tore his shoulder up on a routine play in Game 2, tried to play through the pain, and absolutely should not have done that. His 2018 (at age 23) was even better offensively than you remembered, though (.297 with 27 homers, 92 RBI, and a 130 OPS+, even though the haters want you to think he was valueless because of the lack of walks).

Even in 2020, Andújar fought through a lot of frustration to heat up as the shortened campaign went on. Despite starting poorly and looking lost in space after such a long layoff, he ended the year batting .242, going 11-for-31 (.355) in his final nine games.

He looks ready. We feel ready. Cross your fingers and hope for a very short Urshela absence, though.

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