The New York Yankees are battling with plenty of health concerns after a magnificent start to the 2022 season. DJ LeMahieu missed his third game on Thursday due to a wrist injury. Moreover, Josh Donaldson remained on COVID IL, while Giancarlo Stanton and Jonathan Loaisiga will miss out for around two weeks. The Yankees management made a huge decision to bring in an MLB veteran. And it worked out pretty well for them during their 7-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bombers called in Matt Carpenter on Thursday afternoon after the 36-year-old requested a release from his minor league contract with the Rangers last week.
The 3-time All-Star told the Yankees manager Aaron Boone that he would load the bags on the plane if asked to do so. However, the Yankees made an announcement hours later about signing Carpenter on a major league contract. Moreover, the Pinstripers added the Silver Slugger winner to their roster straightaway. He was added to the starting lineup against the Rays on Thursday after Aaron Hicks was sidelined last minute due to right hamstring tightness. The southpaw reached base twice and scored a couple of runs against the Rays. It helped the Yankees achieve a brilliant victory.
Carpenter Signs A Contract $ Debuts For Yankees On Thursday
In his debut match for the Bronx Bombers, Carpenter saw 25 pitches in four plate appearances, got hit by a pitch, and drew a walk. Carpenter said that his first game was pretty crazy and to get here and be in the lineup right away was a lot of fun. Matt revealed that he did not land until 3:20, and after a few hours, he was playing for the Yankees. The Yankees infielder was happy with a huge win and felt good to be a part of it.
Further, Aaron Boone told that Carpenter acted as a catalyst during Thursday’s win and teased that the former Cardinals player could get some time at first and third base in the future. The Yankees manager also shared that Carpenter was on their radar for the past few months. The franchise pursued him after he was released from his minor league contract with the Rangers.
Carpenter hit at .168 with an OPS of .581 in 130 appearances for the Cardinals last season. He spent the offseason working on his swing after hitting at .275 with .991 OPS at Triple-A this year.
Talking about improvement, Carpenter shared that his swing felt as good as he had felt in years. He put a lot of effort in the offseason and watched his good work translate on the field. Matt revealed that he was able to get his feel back and get things clicking with the Triple-A pitching. As a result, Carpenter could make it to the Yankees, and he is really excited about the opportunity being presented to him.