New York Yankees trade deadline acquisition Austin Slater has resumed baseball activity after being sidelined in early August with a left hamstring strain. Slater is now working on a rehab assignment with the Yankees AAA affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The longtime San Francisco Giant was acquired by the Yankees from the White Sox on July 30 in a trade for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl. An outfielder, Slater fills an important depth role for New York, especially with the question marks surrounding whether or not Aaron Judge will return to the field this season.
Slater is a mediocre hitter, but he thrives against left-handed pitching. He also has experience playing in the infield and is an above average runner, which could make him a swiss army knife for the Yankees in the homestretch.
Slater appeared in three games for New York after he was acquired before he was sent to the IL. In 51 games with the White Sox this season, he batted .236 with five homers and 11 runs batted in. He is a career .249 hitter
Slater is No Stranger to Moving Around
After spending his first seven and a half seasons with the San Francisco Giants, New York is now the fifth team he’s played for in the last two seasons. A little bit of stability could go a long way for the 32-year-old journeyman who is looking to once again find a place to settle down in and play meaningful baseball.
Stability doesn’t even mean being a regular starter for the Yankees, because at this point in his career, even Slater knows he’s no longer an everyday MLB outfielder. But stability in a routine could provide him some comfort and allow him to be the ever important utility piece on a team with World Series aspirations.
The Giants run of success was over by the time Slater was with the Major League team, so his playoff experience is limited to just four games, three with the Giants in 2021 and one with Baltimore last season.
How the Yankees Should Manage Their Outfield Without Judge
Since Aaron Judge got hurt earlier this month and has been relegated to designated hitter, the Yankees have been throwing their mountain of a man in Giancarlo Stanton out in right field, a move that has hurt them defensively. Stanton doesn’t move well at all at this point in his career, and is really only effective as a hitter.
The problem for the Yankees if Judge can’t get back in the field is that Stanton is hitting the ball so well that they need him in the lineup somewhere, but they also can’t sit Judge. That’s where a guy like Austin Slater comes into the equation.
Late in games in September and October, a move the Yankees should consider is starting Stanton in right field, letting him get at-bats up until the seventh or eighth inning, and then slotting Slater into his position in the field. This removes Stanton from the lineup, but will likely save a few important runs defensively in late innings in close games. It’s tough to emphasize how inefficient Stanton is in the field.
Of course all of this is solved if Judge returns to playing the field and Stanton can move back to DH, but if he can’t Slater could be an integral depth piece for New York to utilize.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Make Announcement on Trade Deadline Acquistion’s Injury Status appeared first on Heavy Sports.