Yankees place Jon Berti on 10-day IL with left calf strain
The Yankees began their nine-game West Coast road trip on Friday with a dominant 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres, but they lost one of their infielders in the process.
Jon Berti hit a grounder in the ninth inning of Friday's win but once he ran out of the batter's box, he collapsed to the ground in pain. It was unclear what the injury was, but many feared the worst as the way he went to the ground and grabbed at his calf, an Achilles tear was in play. However, the Yankees disclosed what it was when they placed Berti on the 10-day IL with a left calf strain.
Berti has been a solid infield option for the Yankees, especially as a defensive replacement in later innings. He's also hitting at a decent clip. In 55 at-bats, he's slashing .273/.322/.649 with a home run and six RBI. He also has four stolen bases on the season.
In a corresponding move, the Yankees called up infielder Kevin Smith to the active roster. Down in Triple-A, Smith is hitting just .204 but gives New York a veteran infielder for the time being.
The Yankees also transferred DJ LeMahieu to the 60-day IL to accommodate Smith's move to the active roster. This is just a bookkeeping move, however, as LeMahieu is still targeting a return to the team when the Yankees begin their series with the Angels on Tuesday.
