#Yankees option Miguel Andujar to alternate site in tough demotion

Two years ago, Miguel Andujar was one of the best young players in the majors. On Thursday the Yankees announced they optioned him to the team’s alternate site in Scranton following Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Andujar’s descent began when he suffered a shoulder injury that led to surgery in May 2019. He didn’t play another game the rest of the season and Gio Urshela emerged as one of the most valuable players on the Yankees, with superb defense at third base and a surprisingly productive bat.

Now healthy, Andujar spent the offseason and spring working on improving his defense at third base, as well as first and left field.

Still, playing time had been in short supply for the 25-year-old, He played in both games in Wednesday’s doubleheader in Philadelphia, starting the first game at third base and the second game in left field, but he has struggled at the plate, going 1-for-14 with three strikeouts. A year ago, he was limited to 12 games before being shut down.

In 2018, Andujar finished behind only Shohei Ohtani in the AL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting 25 homers in 149 games and finishing with an OPS of .855.

With Urshela still on top of his game at third base and the outfield packed with Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman all healthy, as well as Giancarlo Stanton thriving at DH and Mike Ford serving as Luke Voit’s backup at first base, Andujar finds himself the odd man out.

The Yankees also sent INF Thairo Estrada and RHP Nick Nelson to the alternate site.