Achi news desk-
HOUSTON: Jon Berti could be at third base for the Yankees who have been bumped up in their opener against Houston on Thursday after New York agreed to acquire the infielder as part of a three-team trade with Miami and Tampa Bay.
New York agreed to send catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays and minor league outfielder Juan Cruz to the Marlins, while outfielder Shane Sasaki would move from the Rays to Miami.
Berti, aged 34, could fill in at third while DJ LeMahieu is on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his right foot. The former batting champion has been sidelined since fouling a ball off his foot on March 16 and will have more tests on Friday. In addition, the Yankees said on March 9 that infielder Oswald Peraza would not throw for six to eight weeks because of a strained right shoulder.
“Obviously with DJ down, he’s showing up in the third base mix a lot,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said during a Zoom news conference Wednesday. “Hopefully, once we’re whole, serve as a guy who can play all over the infield, even play some outfield — high quality bat to ball, can steal a base.”
Boone said he wants to wait until Berti gets to Houston to decide if he will start against the Astros and said Gleyber Torres will likely lead off. Oswaldo Cabrera is his other third base option.
The Yankees are coming off an 82-80 season, their poorest since 1992. The Yankees’ .227 batting average was 29th among the 30 teams.
“I hope the offense lines up better with what we expect it to be,” Boone said. “Tomorrow we get to go find out how good we think we are.”
Boone is entering the final season of his contract.
“All my energy and all my focus is trying to help us play my part to help us be the best possible team that we can be, and our goal is to be a world champion,” Boone said. “So I don’t know if I’m looking at it because this has to happen in order for me to save this job.”
Berti hit .294 with seven homers, 33 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year, down from a major league-high 41 steals in 2022. He batted .229 with one homer and six RBIs in spring training, striking out 12 times in 35 at-bats. Berti has a salary of $3,625,000 and is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Rortvedt, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, was out of options and behind Jose Trevino and rookie Austin Wells in the Yankees’ catching plans. Trevino will start on Thursday.
Acquired from Minnesota in a March 2022 trade along with third baseman Josh Donaldson, Rortvedt missed much of 2022 with a strained right oblique muscle and was limited to 48 minor league games that season. He underwent surgery during spring training last year to repair an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder, delaying his minor league debut until April 21. Rortvedt joined the Yankees on May 20 and hit .118 with two homers and four RBIs in 32 games.
Rortvedt could share time with the right-hitting René Pinto.
“In theory, it complements our catching position and really our overall choice, which is to be a left-handed hitter. We got a few lefties down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He comes from a very good institution. It will transfer here very well. … We don’t mess around with too many guys that we don’t think are good defensively. And we think highly of him defensively. “
Cash said outfielder Austin Shelton would be on the opening day roster, putting the 26-year-old in position to make his major league debut.
Cruz, 18, signed with New York in 2022 for a $75,000 bonus. He hit .294 with 10 homers, 47 RBIs, nine steals and a .907 OPS last year for the Florida Yankees.
Sasaki, 23, was taken by Tampa Bay in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft with the 99th pick. A native of Hawaii, Sasaki hit .299 with seven homers, 39 RBIs and 16 stolen bases last year for the Class A Bowling Green and Major League Florida Rays.
Juan Soto enters his Yankees debut having gone 5 for 28 (.179) in spring training with no RBIs.
Shortstop Jorbit Vivas was scheduled to be examined by an ophthalmologist in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday and additional specialists on Friday after suffering a left orbital fracture before Monday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets.
Outfielder Oscar González has been released from hospital in Mexico City after suffering a right orbital fracture in Monday’s exhibition at Diablos Rojos. González is also scheduled to see an ophthalmologist Thursday and could return to Tampa this weekend, Boone said.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)
