Yanks give Berti first pro start at 1B in Game 2
NEW YORK — Forced to use backups following Anthony Rizzo‘s injury, the New York Yankees started Jon Berti at first base in his professional debut at the position in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone also said he picked Clarke Schmidt over Luis Gil to start Game 3 at Kansas City on Wednesday night.
Acquired from Miami just before Opening Day, Berti hit .273 in 25 games and 66 at-bats for the Yankees this year while playing second, third and left.
“He’s looked outstanding over there,” Boone said, “He’s played a little bit in spring training over the years, but just a really natural infielder and just a person that I have a lot of confidence in.”
Berti’s only spring training game at first was for the final three innings when Miami played Washington on March 25, 2021. He caught the throw from third baseman Joe Dunand on Jordy Mercer‘s eighth-inning grounder for his one putout.
With Rizzo sidelined by a pair of fractured fingers, Oswaldo Cabrera started at first in the Yankees’ 6-5 win in Game 1 on Saturday, going 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and making several sparkling defensive plays.
Rookie Ben Rice, who played at first while Rizzo was sidelined with a broken right forearm from mid-June through August, was another option on the Yankees roster.
Kansas City started left-hander Cole Ragans in Game 2. Berti hit .259 in 27 at-bats against lefties this year while Cabrera hit .190 (15 for 79) and Rice .135 (5 for 37).
“With obviously Riz going down with a day left in the season, not being ideal, we’re not necessarily in that perfect situation from a first base standpoint,” Boone said. “So going to mix and match over there, and obviously Cabby did a great job I felt like in Game 1. And I kind of have that same confidence with Jon.”
Hurt when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki on Sept. 28, Rizzo hopes to be back if the Yankees advance to the League Championship Series.
Schmidt, a 28-year-old right-hander, will follow Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón in the rotation, with Cole lined up for a Game 4 in the best-of-five series and Rodón for a Game 5. A 28-year-old right-hander, Schmidt was 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts, missing time between May 26 and Sept. 7 because of a strained right lat.
“I think a great opportunity and something I’ve been looking forward to and kind of hoping would happen,” Schmidt said.
Gil, a 26-year-old rookie right-hander, was 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA. He struck out 171 in 151⅔ innings but led the major leagues with 77 walks.
Schmidt said Boone told him of the decision Sunday.
“It just feels like he’s the right guy for that game,” Boone said. “I have a lot of confidence in what both bring to the table and, hopefully, if we’re able to move on, then Luis is obviously going to find himself back in the rotation, as well.”
TORONTO — Blue Jays outfielder George Springer skipped into third base on a key RBI hit by teammate Alejandro Kirk, and hopped right into an inning-ending out in the fifth on Sunday against the Athletics.
Springer was called out following a replay review after Athletics third baseman Max Schuemann alertly kept his glove on the Blue Jays right fielder while Springer hopped up and down on third base.
Springer, who had reached on an RBI single that opened the scoring for Toronto, was celebrating Kirk’s double that cut the deficit to 3-2.
The out call meant Toronto slugger Addison Barger didn’t get to bat with runners at second and third.
Schuemann had just entered the game as a defensive replacement, taking over for Miguel Andujar.
The Athletics had lost five straight and 16 of 17 entering Sunday.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas’ lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.
“We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the ’23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,” Young said before Texas’ series finale against St. Louis.
García is hitting .155 in the past 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .208 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs for a Rangers club that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.
García, who has started 55 of Texas’ 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.
“It’s about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,” García told reporters Saturday. “I’m working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.”
García, 32, is in the final season of a two-year contract.
The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the Rangers outfield as García tries to return to the lineup.
“It’s going to be performance-driven at this point,” Young said.
Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday’s game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment, and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.
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