Yankees’ Harrison Bader reinstated from injured list
NEW YORK — Harrison Bader was activated from the injured list by the New York Yankees, and the speedy center fielder could make his season debut against the Cleveland Guardians.
Diminished by injuries, the slumping Yankees hope Bader can spark their offense a bit. He’s been sidelined since March 10 in spring training with a strained left oblique muscle.
New York (15-15) has lost four straight and seven of nine, falling into last place in the AL East. The team totaled only 10 runs during those seven defeats.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge went on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 28, because of a strained right hip.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (left hamstring strain) and third baseman Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain) also are on the IL.
To open a roster spot for Bader, the Yankees optioned corner outfielder Franchy Cordero back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following a 3-2 loss to Cleveland.
In the absence of Bader, the Yankees have mostly played Judge, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Aaron Hicks in center.
Bader went 0 for 4 with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and was 3 for 25 (.125) with one RBI during a seven-game minor league rehab assignment. He was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the Aug. 2 trade deadline last year for left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
Bader was out with a foot injury when the Cardinals traded him and he didn’t make his Yankees debut until Sept. 20, batting just .217 with nine RBIs in 14 regular-season games for New York.
But he had a huge postseason, hitting .333 (10 for 30) with five home runs, six RBIs and four walks in nine playoff games against Cleveland and Houston.
The 28-year-old Bader was born in Bronxville, about 10 miles north of Yankee Stadium. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 with St. Louis and can become a free agent after this season.
Cordero has been sent back and forth from Triple-A several times in the past few days.
He traveled from Texas to Worcester, Massachusetts, after he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Then, after Jake Bowers got hurt crashing into the left-field wall in the first inning of his Yankees debut against the Rangers, Cordero headed back to Texas to join the Yankees’ taxi squad. He was recalled from the RailRiders when Judge went on the injured list, then optioned back down after the game against the Guardians.
Yankees’ Harrison Bader reinstated from injured list originally appeared on NBCSports.com
