Yankees to Get Back Key Trade Deadline Acquisition

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Yankees utilityman Amed Rosario is expected to come off the IL and be activated ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Rays.

For the New York Yankees, good news is on the horizon.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the Yankees are expected to activate infielder Amed Rosario from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 29-year-old Rosario was 3-for-7 with one double and one RBI over his first four games with the Yankees after slashing .270/.310/.426 in 47 games with the Washington Nationals. Rosario was acquired by New York last month in exchange for two minor leaguers.

Why Was Amed Rosario on the Injured List?

Rosario last played Aug. 8 against the Houston Astros, when he crashed into the right field wall at Yankee Stadium trying to chase down a fly ball hit by Yainer Diaz in the 10th inning of a 5-3 loss. Rosario remained in the game and flied out the next half-inning.

Rosario didn’t play the next day and was placed on the 10-day IL on Aug. 10 with a sternoclavicular joint sprain in his left shoulder.

At the time, the veteran utilityman said he hoped to return to the club once his minimum stay was up.

Catcher J.C. Escarra was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday, clearing a spot for Rosario on the active roster.

How Can Amed Rosario Help the Yankees?

Rosario isn’t an everyday player, but he gives the Yankees valuable versatility because of his ability to play all over the field.

Now in his ninth MLB season, the former top prospect — Rosario was ranked No. 5 overall by MLB Pipeline in 2017 — has carved a reputation as a lefty-masher. This year, Rosario is hitting .312 with three homers and 11 RBI in 93 at-bats against left-handers, compared to just .226 with two homers and eight RBI in 62 at-bats against right-handers.

Seeking more depth, the Yankees landed him from Washington on July 26 for right-hander pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez.

It marked a return home of sorts for the former New York Mets top prospect.

“He makes our bench and the balance of our roster more workable,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, via MLB.com. “Hopefully we’ll get him in some situations where he can impact us. He can help us a lot.”

The Yankees (67-57) are 7-3 over their last 10 games. They have a 3.5-game lead on the Cleveland Guardians for the third AL wild card.

Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour