#Yankees bring back Greg Allen for wild-card game, DFA Andrew Heaney

BOSTON — Greg Allen and Rob Brantly were added to the Yankees roster for Tuesday’s AL wild-card game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Allen will come off the bench as an additional pinch-running option with Tyler Wade, unless Wade winds up in the starting lineup due to Gio Urshela’s thigh bruise. Urshela suffered the injury when he tumbled hard into the dugout in Sunday’s win over the Rays in The Bronx.

To make room on the roster for Allen and third catcher Brantly, the Yankees designated Andrew Heaney and Brody Koerner for assignment.

Heaney was optioned last week to make room for Jonathan Loaisiga’s return from the IL and agreed to report to their minor league facility in Tampa after a miserable stint with the Yankees following a trade from the Angels in July. The left-hander was acquired in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers and pitched poorly as both a starter and reliever while with the Yankees.

Koerner’s contract had just been selected Sunday after Luke Voit was transferred to the 60-day IL with left knee inflammation.

Allen signed a minor league deal with the Yankees last offseason and provided a huge spark to the team after being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in July, when the Yankees were in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak. 

The 28-year-old switch hitter went 10-for-37 with five extra-base hits and an OPS of .849 in 15 games before he was sent back down to the minors. 

The Yankees went 11-4 during Allen’s 15-game stretch.

Brantly appeared in six games for the Yankees earlier this season.