Posted June 30, 2018 at 06:05 AM | Updated June 30, 2018 at 06:05 AM
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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
NEW YORK — After a long disabled-list stint due to blurry vision and then an unexpected and undeserved option to Triple-A, Brandon Drury finally is back with the Yankees.
When Drury left in April, he was the Yankees’ starting third baseman.
Now that rookie Miguel Andujar has stolen the job, Drury returned as of Friday as a utility infielder who might play more first base than third.
Manager Aaron Boone laid out a tentative plan for Drury before the Yankees spanked the Red Sox 8-1 in the first of three showdown games this weekend at Yankee Stadium.
Meantime, there’s some news on pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who is rehabbing his way back from left and right hamstring strains, as well as first baseman Tyler Austin, who injured his back as a left fielder in a Triple-A game on Thursday.
Here is all of the latest Yankees news:
Brandon Drury
Lynne Sladky | AP
Drury not just back for weekend
It looks like the Yankees had it all planned out so that third baseman Brandon Drury would be recalled from Triple-A to play some first base this weekend against the Red Sox over slumping starter Greg Bird.
Friday's roster move made sense because the Yankees have known for about a week that they’d be facing the Red Sox's three left-handed starters.
Bird, after all, is a left-handed hitter who went into the weekend hitting .191, and Drury, who had played some first in the minors before starting there three games in a row this week, was recalled with a .309 average in 54 Triple-A games.
A Yankees blowout later, nothing’s changed even though Bird started at first on Friday night and smacked two homers, one of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.
Before the game, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, "I would fully expect you to see (Drury) play first base at least one of these games this weekend."
Drury making his first career start at first Saturday night would be a very good bet with the Red Sox starting Chris Sale, who is as tough on left-handed hitters as any lefty in the game.
Then what?
Look for Bird to start again Sunday night against Red Sox lefty David Price with Drury sitting.
And after that, look for Drury to stick around. The Yankees have recalled outfielder Clint Frazier for three short stretches this season, but it doesn’t appear Drury will be heading back to Triple-A anytime soon ... if at all.
“I think there's a good chance that he’s here and part of our club,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He's earned his way back. I hate to say that because we really felt like that’s a big-league player playing in Triple-A. But he was doing everything. A lot of times when a guy that clearly is a big-league player 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 I'm really proud of the way he went about it.
“I'm sure it was difficult for him being down there knowing you belong in the big leagues and you are a big leaguer, but all the reports that we were getting as far as work ethic, the early work and just taking his craft really seriously was all there. The results were there. And over the last week or so when he'd been asked to start working at first and getting reps there, the work was put in.
"Like I said, he's more than earned his way back here."
New York Yankees v Philadelphia Phillies
Hunter Martin | Getty Images
German staying in rotation .. at least for time being
Right-hander Domingo German, who pitched an inning of relief in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss in Philadelphia, is staying in the rotation and will start again against the Atlanta Braves next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
German had just been starting since joining the rotation on May 6 as a replacement for No. 5 starter Jordan Montgomery, who left a start in Houston on May 1 with an elbow injury that led to season-ending Tommy John surgery.
German was used in relief because the Yankees changed up their rotation for this weekend’s series against the Red Sox
CC Sabathia started Friday’s game on two extra days rest while ace Luis Severino will go Sunday night on regular rest instead of getting an extra day off due to an off day leading into the Boston series.
Jonathan Loaisiga, another rookie, will start Monday against the Braves.
With Masahiro Tanaka close to coming off the DL, the Yankees will have to decide soon on whether they'll keep Loaisiga or German in the rotation.
Loaisiga is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts since double-jumping from Double-A Trenton the big leagues when Tanaka went on the DL, while German is 2-4 with a 5.32 ERA in 14 games, nine as a starter.
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