Yankees’ Mateo Adds Versatility
NEW YORK—It might be too early to project a future infield of Starlin Castro at third base, Didi Gregorius at shortstop, Jorge Mateo at second base and Greg Bird at first base.
However, the Yankees are looking at Mateo, their top prospect, at second base. Getting him a taste of the keystone was important because the Yankees were ready to promote Mateo from high Class A Tampa to Double-A Trenton, where Tyler Wade plays shortstop.
“If they are on the same team, we will do it,” general manager Brian Cashman said of moving Mateo to second, where he debuted in late May.
Wade hit .255/.351/.342 through his first 43 games at Trenton. New York selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of high school in Murrieta, Calif.
Mateo, who turns 21 in June, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. He hit .310/.379/.511 through 44 games at Tampa, amassing five home runs and 16 stolen bases in 24 tries. He stole a minor league-high 82 bases last year, which he spent mostly at low Class A Charleston.
Of the five prospects the Yankees refused to deal at the trade deadline last year or at the Winter Meetings, Mateo is having the best year.
Bird had shoulder surgery in February and is out for the season. Righthander Luis Severino went 0-6, 7.46 in seven starts and went on the disabled list with a strained right triceps.
Right fielder Aaron Judge hit seven home runs and drove in 25 runs through 44 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre while batting .246/.308/.417.
YANKEE DOODLES
• Rob Refsnyder signed as a corner outfielder out of Arizona in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and entered pro ball playing that position. The Yankees shifted him to second base in 2013 because he lacked power, and he began playing third base this spring. Called up from Scranton in late May, Refsnyder played right field on May 21 for the first time in his brief big league career.
• Righthanders Chad Green and Conor Mullee made their major league debuts against the Diamondbacks on May 16. Acquired from the Tigers with Luis Cessa last December for Justin Wilson, Green started and gave up six runs and eight hits in four-plus innings. Mullee, a converted shortstop from Saint Peter’s (N.J.) and a 24th-round pick in 2010, gave up a run and three walks in an inning.
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