Yankees' Carlos Narvaez gets first MLB hit in ninth inning
Yankees catcher Carlos Narvaez looks for his pitch against the Rays during the ninth inning of an MLB game at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It took 472 minor-league games for Carlos Narvaez to get here, and when the catcher finally got his opportunity, he immediately showed he was done with waiting.
In his first major-league at-bat, Narvaez — who is tied with Oswaldo Cabrera as the second-longest-tenured Yankee in the organization behind Aaron Judge — singled on the fifth pitch he saw in Saturday’s 9-1 loss to the Rays, hitting a 106.2-mph laser off reliever Kevin Kelly in the ninth inning. Narvaez entered the game in the top of the inning as a defensive substitute.
After the game, Narvaez, 25, who has played for the franchise’s various farm teams since 2016, choked up at the thought of gifting his milestone ball to his father.
“He’s my hero,” Narvaez said. “He’s been with me since I was young. He was my first coach when I was 3 years old. He’s been with me forever. I’m still — it’s too [many] feelings right now. It’s been amazing.”
Narvaez, whose cousin is former Mets catcher Omar Narvaez, was first called up in April after Alex Verdugo went on paternity leave but got sent back down without ever getting into a game. He got another shot last week when Jose Trevino suffered a quadriceps injury. Narvaez was slashing .253/.379/.413 with 19 homers and 86 RBIs in 155 Triple-A games over parts of two seasons.
“I’m super-proud for this opportunity,” he said. “It’s been a long journey, but to be around these guys on this amazing team, this amazing clubhouse, I can’t describe this moment.”
Stanton closing in
Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) will continue with baseball activities for another week before the Yankees determine whether he can rejoin the active major-league roster or start a rehab assignment.
“I think now it’s kind of about the stamina, building it over and over each day,” Aaron Boone said. “I think he feels really good, but getting that volume under his belt to where he comes back and he’s ready to roll. Now it’s about just stacking days of putting it together, but feel like he’s in a really good spot.”
Personnel news
Clarke Schmidt (lat) threw a bullpen session for the first time after getting hurt two months ago and felt good, Boone said. “True to Clarke form, I asked how it went and he goes, ‘Pretty nasty,’ ” he said. “Everything went well.” . . . The Yankees optioned lefty reliever Josh Maciejewski to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Saturday’s game. Righthander Cody Morris was outrighted off the major-league roster and onto the Triple-A roster . . . JT Brubaker, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, injured his oblique and won’t throw for three to four weeks, Boone said.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
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