Yankees call up Franchy Cordero to replace injured Jake Bauers
Franchy Cordero of the New York Yankees against the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Friday brought news that is all too familiar to the Yankees this season: another outfielder on the injured list.
Jake Bauers, who landed hard on his left shoulder in an unsuccessful attempt to make a diving catch during Wednesday night’s 6-3 loss to the Orioles, was placed on the IL with a rotator cuff contusion.
Franchy Cordero, in Friday night’s lineup against the Cubs as the starting rightfielder, took Bauers’ spot on the roster.
Bauers, hitting .224 with seven homers and a .774 OPS in 49 games, received a cortisone shot in the shoulder Thursday. Until that takes hold — which usually takes in the range of two to three days — Aaron Boone said the Yankees won’t have an idea on a timeframe for his return.
“I know in just speaking with him in the last hour, he felt significantly better already today, just in how he’s able to move around,” Boone said before Friday’s game. “He was pretty sore yesterday waking up.”
Cordero, 28, who hit four homers in his first seven games in April during his first stint with the Yankees, was hitting .345 with seven homers and a 1.083 OPS in 34 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
One-time highly touted prospect Estevan Florial has 21 homers but is not on the 40-man roster.
“There’s a number of guys down there doing quite well,” Boone said. “Hopefully he can provide a spark for us.”
Bauers joins fellow outfielders Aaron Judge (right big toe sprain), Greg Allen (right hip flexor strain) and Willie Calhoun (left quadriceps strain) on the IL.
Cortes to 60-day IL
To make room for Carlos Rodon, who made his season debut Friday night, on the active roster, Nestor Cortes was placed on the 60-day IL. That amounts to nothing more than a clerical move. The lefthander, out since June 5 with a left rotator cuff strain, is in line to begin facing hitters in simulated games soon. With no setbacks, Cortes should be built up enough to return by Aug. 5, when he’s eligible to come off the IL.
Judge a no-go for Seattle
Boone said Judge, voted into next week’s All-Star Game, will not be attending the festivities. He plans to continue his rehab at the Stadium during the break.
