Yankees' Wandy Peralta, Matt Carpenter will shake off rust at 'Camp Somerset'
Wandy Peralta #58 of the New York Yankees pitches during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
As the Yankees play the Rangers in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, the lights will go on at the team’s “Camp Somerset” in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey.
The Yankees will be opening an alternate site for their injured players and taxi squad players at the home of their Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots.
“We have the alternate site lined up,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think we have eight or nine [minor-league] pitchers. They’ll work out and kind of house in Somerset.”
While the Yankees are finishing the regular season with a four-game series in Arlington that ends Wednesday — their first postseason game is scheduled for Oct. 11 — two players who are vying for the postseason roster will be working out in Somerset.
Lefthander Wandy Peralta, who has been out since Sept. 19 with a tight back, will throw at the alternate site rather than accompany the club to Texas. The Yankees consider Peralta a lock to be ready for the Division Series and decided the alternate site would serve him better than pitching against the Rangers.
“It was more like, ‘Do we want to get him in one game there or just have him [throw] live?’ “ Boone said. “You’ve got to kind of create a roster spot, which gets a little dicey. And so, in the end, we decided on he's good to go live and then he'll get another one or two prior to the Division Series.”
Matt Carpenter also is headed to Somerset. The lefthanded batter has been out since Aug. 9 because of a fractured foot. Boone would love to have Carpenter as a bat off the bench for the playoffs. He was moved to the 60-day injured list on Sunday in a procedural move.
The Yankees are expected to activate Miguel Castro on Monday. The righthander has been out since July 13 with a shoulder strain.
The Yankees designated Jacob Barnes for assignment to make room for Sunday starter Chi Chi Gonzalez. Barnes, a former Met, was called up on Saturday and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the Yankees' 8-0 victory over Baltimore.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
