The Yankees introduced that they’ve chosen the contract of outfielder Billy McKinney. He’ll take the energetic roster spot of Aaron Decide, who has been positioned on the 10-day injured checklist with a proper nice toe sprain. That transfer was reported on final night time and is retroactive to June 4. To open a spot for McKinney on the 40-man roster, right-hander Ryan Weber was transferred to the 60-day injured checklist.
McKinney, 28, signed a minor league cope with the Yankees this winter and has been having an awesome season in Triple-A to this point. He’s walked in 13.8% of his plate appearances whereas hanging out at a 20% clip. He has 9 dwelling runs and is slashing .274/.388/.511 for a wRC+ of 127.
Nonetheless, minor league success is nothing new for McKinney. He has developed a sample of raking in Triple-A after which scuffling within the majors, with varied golf equipment across the league giving him possibilities that he’s didn’t make the most of. Courting again to 2018, he’s performed for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers and Athletics. He’s obtained 768 plate appearances within the huge leagues however hit simply .206/.277/.387 in these for a wRC+ of 77. His minor league slash line in that very same timeframe is .261/.359/.498 for a wRC+ of 123.
He’ll now get one other shot to reach the present, which has been spurred on the Yankees’ outfield combine coping with varied accidents. Harrison Bader and Greg Allen had been already on the injured checklist and now Decide is becoming a member of them, subtracting three choices from the middle discipline depth chart. McKinney is able to enjoying all three outfield spots and first base, so will give them a little bit of versatile depth alongside gamers like Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Giancarlo Stanton.
McKinney is out of choices and might’t be despatched again all the way down to the minors with out being uncovered to waivers first. Even in that case, he’d have the suitable to elect free company since he has a earlier profession outright. If he lastly manages to interrupt out in opposition to huge league pitching, the Yankees may maintain him round for fairly some time through arbitration. He would cross three years of service time this yr if he stays up and could be slated without spending a dime company after 2026 if he continued to justify his roster spot.
As for Weber, he was positioned on the injured checklist on the weekend as a result of a forearm pressure. There’s nonetheless no official phrase on what’s subsequent for him however the truth that he’s been transferred to the 60-day IL isn’t a very good signal. He’ll now be ineligible till the primary week of August on the earliest.
