Huge Boost: Yankees make big injury move after All-Star break
The New York Yankees are set to receive some much-needed infield reinforcement after the All-Star Break. On Friday, the team announced that they would be activating newly-acquired star from the 10-day injured list before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Davis was initially placed on the injured list on July 12 (retroactive to July 9) due to a stomach flu. Prior to his IL stint, Davis appeared in five games for the Yankees following his acquisition in a trade with the Oakland Athletics on June 23.
In those five games, Davis started three at first base, one as the designated hitter, and pinch-hit in the other. He also has experience playing third base and left field. With rookie sensation Ben Rice excelling at first base, it might make more sense for the Yankees to utilize Davis at third base or left field, positions currently held by the struggling DJ LeMahieu and Alex Verdugo.
J.D. Davis returning for Yankees
The Yankees initially traded for Davis to bolster their infield depth after starting first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm following a collision with Boston Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino on June 16. Rizzo is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Although Davis’s stint with the Yankees has been brief, he has struggled so far, recording just one hit in 13 plate appearances across five games. However, that one hit was significant: an RBI double in a 16-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on June 28.
Davis’s best season was in 2019 with the New York Mets, where he hit 22 home runs with a .307/.369/.527 slash line. The Yankees are hopeful that a return to New York could reignite some of the offensive potential Davis displayed with the Mets that season.
Even if he doesn’t replicate those numbers, Davis remains a versatile veteran who can fill in at first base, third base, and left field, areas where the Yankees currently have a need.
The Yankees are just one game behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East and are solidly in postseason position. However, their lead for the first Wild Card spot is shrinking, with the Minnesota Twins three games back and the Red Sox 3.5 games back. As the season winds down, the Yankees will need all the help they can get, and Davis could prove to be a key contributor in the Bronx.