It took Brandon Drury nearly three months to make it back to The Bronx, and there’s a “good chance” he may not have to step foot in Scranton again this season.
Drury, who opened the season as the Yankees third baseman but hit the disabled list after eight games because of blurry vision and headaches, had been stuck in the minors while Miguel Andujar took his job.
Finally, before this weekend’s series-opener against the Red Sox, Drury was recalled from Triple-A. Though he didn’t start Friday night, manager Aaron Boone expected Drury to start at least one game this weekend against southpaws Chris Sale and David Price.
“I think there’s a good chance that he’s here as part of our club,” Boone said. “Look, he’s earned his way back. I hate to say that because we really felt like, obviously, that’s a big league player playing in Triple-A.
“When a guy that’s clearly a big league player that’s had success that has to go down for a particular reason, a lot of times the play goes a little south and that wasn’t the case for Brandon. I told him earlier, I’m just really proud of the way he went about it.”
While Andujar has blocked Drury from anything more than spot sports at third, Greg Bird’s prolonged struggles have given Drury an opportunity at first.
Drury has played just one major league inning at first base, but began working at the position while at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he played five games. It was his first minor league action at first base since 2012.
But whatever concerns existed over playing Drury at an unfamiliar position were silenced by his bat. In 58 minor league games, Drury hit .306 with six home runs and was named an International League All-Star.
In The Bronx, meanwhile, Bird hit .191 with three home runs in 28 games, going 1-for- 14 (.071) against lefties.
Boone said there is no set plan for how he will utilize Drury.
“We’ll see. We’re series by series right now,” Boone said. “His versatility is something that’s a plus for him.”
Drury, who earned the promotion over Tyler Austin, also creates uncertainty over Neil Walker’s future usage. Walker, who has made 29 starts at first base, has hit .185 this season, and just .147 against lefties.
“I don’t know that his role necessarily changes that much,” Boone said of Walker. “Because we like Walker so much better from the left side, that’s a little bit of a balance with Drury.”
Drury, who hadn’t appeared with the Yankees since April 7, was acquired in February in case Andujar and Gleyber Torres were not ready for starting roles. Now, the rookies have cemented their spots, while Drury reentered a clubhouse far different than the one he left when the Yankees were holding a 4-4 record.
“I feel really good. I’m ready to go,” Drury said. “I’m very excited to be back. I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”
Drury, 25, said his headaches and vision have improved significantly, and he no longer needs to wear tinted glasses or receive regular treatment.
“It’s just much better, much clearer,” Drury said. “It feels a lot better a night. The night was really tough before.
“My goal was to get right, and to be the player that I know I can be. I have a long career ahead of me, and I didn’t want to not figure it out, keep going through it, and waste another year.”
Spending so many games in the minors was nearly as challenging.
“It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy at all,” Drury said. “But I worked as hard as I could down there to be a better player when I got back up, so that was my mindset every day, going through that grind of being down there.”
