CHICAGO — Redemption?
Eh. More of a reminder.
Redemption would be Miguel Andujar making a game-saving play at third base. Instead, on Tuesday night, the Yankees’ rookie reminded the team’s fans of why he has won his front office’s considerable support.
Left undecided for now is whether Andujar can play well enough with his glove to be a full-time, two-way player.
Andujar slammed a game-tying home run and added a game-winning single to lead the Yankees over the terrible White Sox, 4-3 in 13 innings, and avoid what would’ve been a demoralizing loss at Guaranteed Rate Field (worst ballpark name ever). At the site of his major-league debut, he thrived playing the same position back on June 28, 2017: Designated hitter.
“He’s been such a good player for us,” Aaron Boone said of Andujar. “He’s so good in the box, obviously with the home run to get us tied up earlier. And then off a lefty [Luis Avilan] just changing speeds on him, able to get enough of it [for the game-winner]. … The ability to make adjustments throughout the year has been impressive. It was another good night for him.”
“I’m going to play whatever position the manager decides to put me in,” Andujar said through an interpreter. “At the end of the day, you’re trying to help the team and do the best you can. It doesn’t matter where you’re playing.”
Andujar’s position has been a hot topic since last year, when his bat screamed “Major-league ready!” and his glove groaned the opposite. When he hit well enough to win the everyday job at the hot corner, first filling in for Brandon Drury when he went on the disabled list and then prompting the Yankees to include Drury in the trade to the Blue Jays for J.A. Happ, hopes of dramatically improved defense emerged.
Those hopes have been tempered dramatically by both the eye test and multiple defensive metrics, and it all came to a head last weekend at Fenway Park. As the Yankees suffered a devastating four-game sweep to the amazing Red Sox, Andujar committed a plethora of poor plays on defense, topped by his errant throw to first on Xander Bogaerts’ ninth-inning grounder Sunday night that should have sealed a Yankees victory and led to another loss.
Boone has started Andujar at DH these first two games in Chicago, meaning the freshman hasn’t played the field since his defensive low point. The manager has said multiple times he isn’t concerned about the notion of getting Andujar back out there to show faith in him. It’s a risky call, for sure, though just like everything else with the Yankees right now, it might get mitigated by the reality of the team’s remarkably easy four-week stretch in their schedule.
That’s why you don’t get too excited over CC Sabathia’s 12 strikeouts over 5 ²/₃ innings, and why you figured the Yankees could overcome Zach Britton’s blown save in the 10th inning, and even why you don’t sweat Aroldis Chapman’s back woes too much yet. The Yankees possess so much room for error at the moment.
So when Andujar broke the shutout of Chisox hurler Reynaldo Lopez with a homer to left field that tied the game at 1-1. And when the White Sox’s best hitter Jose Abreu slammed a two-run, 10th-inning homer against Britton that set the stage for Andujar in the 13th.
With Yankees on first and second and two outs, Andujar reached down to golf an Avilan changeup into left field, scoring Didi Gregorius from second base. He also singled in the 11th, and he has a hearty .292/.326/.499 slash line on the season.
“I was able to recognize the changeup once he released it,” Andujar said. “I was just looking to make good contact. That’s all I was trying to do there.”
Sonny Gray threw a third straight inning to win his first relief appearance since 2013, and all was well in the Yankees’ world. That’s two straight wins since they left New England.
The next step? Get Andujar back out in the field. He could use some redemption to match his reminder.
