Eduardo Nunez wants to serve the vacant Brett Gardner role for the Yankees, and he is being given an immediate opportunity to do so.
With that in mind, Nunez got off to a great start.
The speedy shortstop, one of six minor league call-ups who joined the Bombers yesterday with expanded rosters, got the start at designated hitter and delivered a huge two-out hit in the Yankees’ 4-3 victory over the Orioles at the Stadium. Nunez stroked a two-out single off Baltimore starter Wei-Yin Chen as part of a game-deciding three-run, seventh-inning rally.
“He has been playing well down there. He brings the speed element,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Swinging the bat wasn’t the issue when he went down. We put him in one position and let him play and he played a very good shortstop.’’
With the Yankees’ AL East lead sliced to two over hard-charging Baltimore entering the contest, Girardi initially put Nunez at shortstop before Derek Jeter said he was good to play the field. Nunez could — and did — add a spark to an offense that is scuffling without injured regulars Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.
His single chased Chen and led to the Yankees taking the lead after Jeter drew a bases-loaded walk against reliever Pedro Strop and Nick Swisher reached on J.J. Hardy’s fielding error, plating another run.
“I can run, bunt, what they need me [to do],” said Nunez, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI. “I know Gardner’s not here and they need somebody who can steal a base.”
It’s been a rocky year for Nunez, offensively gifted but a work in progress in the field. He was sent down May 12, the day after committing two errors at third base, and suffered a serious thumb injury that cost him over two months. He returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in late July and played every day at shortstop before Saturday’s call-up.
“I’m happy to be back again,” said Nunez, who hit .294 with six stolen bases in his first stint with the Yankees this year. “Every time you get sent down, you learn, you get stronger. … I forgot what happened in the past, I’m in the present and thinking about the future.”
Catcher Francisco Cervelli, outfielder Chris Dickerson, pitchers Cory Wade, Adam Warren and Justin Thomas also joined the Yankees yesterday.
Cervelli, a backup catcher with the Yankees the last few years who surprisingly didn’t make the team out of spring training when the team traded for veteran Chris Stewart, was excited to be back in The Bronx after spending the entire year at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“I’m happy to be here and be in the big leagues because that’s what I love,” he said.
The demotion was difficult for Cervelli. It took him a while to adjust to being back in the minor leagues. He was admittedly trying to do everything each day at the park before his family came to visit in May.
“They made me walk the line again and realize how lucky I am to have a job,” he said.
