Yankees claim outfielder Taylor Trammell off waivers from Dodgers
NEW YORK - A former first round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds, lefty-hitting outfielder Taylor Trammell was claimed by the Yankees off waivers Thursday.
Trammell, 26, was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers after playing in just five games. The Dodgers had claimed Trammell on April 2, after he was placed on waivers by the Seattle Mariners.
Across parts of four MLB seasons with the Mariners and Dodgers, Trammell is a career .165 hitter (51-for-310) with 15 home runs in 121 games.
In the majors, Trammell has split time at all three outfield positions.
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On the Yankees depth chart, Trammell is a fifth outfielder, behind lefty-hitting Trent Grisham, a Gold Glove Award winner. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated infielder Kevin Smith for assignment.
It’s a bit of a curious move, given the Yanks’ current outfield depth, and the desire to get Giancarlo Stanton a start or two per week, with a regular left-to-right alignment of Alex Verdugo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
Grisham has been taking grounders at first base during batting practice. Infielder DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture, right foot) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend and could return to the Yankees lineup by April 26.
Trammell was the 35th overall draft pick by the Reds in 2016 and was traded to the San Diego Padres in a July 31, 2019 deal.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees claim Taylor Trammell off waivers from Dodgers