Even though it’s not the whole army, two young backups arrived in The Bronx on Wednesday to support a team that has been struggling and needs a boost.
The Yankees had lost 11 of their last 13 games, so they called up Oswaldo Cabrera & Estevan Florial from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre & put them right into the lineup for the final game of their series against the Rays. Cabrera played third base and Florial played center field.
Outfielders Tim Locastro & Miguel Andujar were promoted to Triple-A in similar moves.
While Florial fills a need in center field, Cabrera can give defensive versatility and a scorching bat in the middle of Aaron Hicks’ prolonged troubles. The 23-year-old infielder/outfielder made his MLB debut on Wednesday night. Although missing 2 months earlier this season due to a shoulder injury, he has been on a tear. In his previous 25 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Cabrera hit .330 with 7 home runs, 8 steals, and an OPS of 1.040.
Cabrera has played most of his minor league matches at 2nd base, shortstop, and 3rd base, but this summer he has expanded his versatility to include the corner outfield positions. Boone stated that he will utilize Cabrera’s versatility by moving him around the diamond.
But although DJ LeMahieu has escaped the injured list, Cabrera’s presence should give Boone greater lineup flexibility and permit him to occasionally rest other infielders.
Florial returned for his 13th stint (the 1st 12 totaling 16 games) with the Yankees throughout the previous three seasons. During his most successful season in the minor leagues, in part, as he has remained healthy, Florial may receive a greater opportunity this time around, given Hicks’ recent struggles. The Yankees do not want to overuse Aaron Judge in center field, so if Hicks remains on the bench for a second consecutive game, like he did Wednesday, Florial might have a string of stars.
Boone stated that the Yankees have been considering promoting Cabrera & Florial for a few days, especially during a span in which they will face an abundance of right-handed starters. This might result in significant playing time for the switch-hitting Cabrera as well as the left-handed hitter Florial.
Boone stated that the two prospects did not need to be anything other than the players who got them to The Bronx during the Yankees’ offensive slump.
Florial seems to have received the message.
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