TAMPA — Rachel Balkovec, new manager of the Yankees’ Low-A Tampa affiliate, is still recovering from being hit with a batted ball during a hitting drill, but she is expected to be able to return to the team soon, according to vice president of player development Kevin Reese.
“I saw her [Tuesday] night and she’s starting to feel better,’’ Reese said Wednesday before the Yankees faced the Blue Jays at Steinbrenner Field. “I think she’s close to being back on the field.”
Balkovec has been sidelined since the mishap occurred at the player development complex last Tuesday.
The first female manager in affiliated baseball history was scheduled to manage her first spring training game with the team last Thursday. Afterward, she was advised by doctors to rest for 5-7 days.
As Reese noted, doctors still need to OK her return and he reiterated that Balkovec did not suffer a concussion, but did come away with “a bruise and other issues.”
Asked how often incidents like this occur during batting practice, Reese said, “They happen. They’re scary every time.”
Rachel Balkovec was injured during a Yankees spring training workout. Instagram / Corey SipkinDJ LeMahieu hit fifth against the Blue Jays, and Aaron Boone said he’d consider using LeMahieu both at the top and in the middle of the lineup.
“Last year, we didn’t have some of the depth we have right now,’’ Boone said. “Part of me wants DJ in the middle of the lineup behind some of the on-base guys this year. He’ll lead off a fair bit.”
Boone rattled off a number of potential leadoff hitters, including some unlikely candidates.
“I do like [LeMahieu] in the middle there and having [Josh] Donaldson, [Aaron] Judge, [Giancarlo] Stanton or [Joey] Gallo at the top to get on base. I’ll flirt with some things and try different things out.”
He noted that he liked Wednesday’s lineup, which had Donaldson leading off, followed by Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Stanton, LeMahieu and Gallo.
Regardless of where he hits, Boone said he’ll make sure LeMahieu gets plenty of at-bats, despite not having an everyday position on defense now that Gleyber Torres is back at second base.
“When they’re all healthy, we’ll have to plan more,’’ Boone said. “Even if they’re all healthy for 162 games, [LeMahieu] will get a lot of at-bats.”
Whether LeMahieu will start on Opening Day, Boone said , “We’ll see.”
Antony Volpe was named the winner of the 2021 Kevin Lawn Award as the Yankees’ minor league “Position Player of the Year” on Wednesday, with right-hander Hayden Wesneski named “Pitcher of the Year.”
Volpe, 20, led the organization’s minor league affiliates in a number of offensive categories, splitting the season between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley. He is considered their top overall prospect.
The 24-year-old Wesneski went from High-A Hudson Valley to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is a candidate to make his MLB debut at some point this year.
With rain in the forecast for Friday, Gerrit Cole’s final Grapefruit League start in Lakeland, Fla., against the Tigers could be in jeopardy, but Boone said they still had to work out a backup plan.
