The Yankees traded for the veteran first baseman after Anthony Rizzo injured his forearm and Giancarlo Stanton hurt his hamstring.
On Sunday, the New York Yankees acquired J.D. Davis from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league infielder Jordan Groshans as the team sought reinforcement after first baseman Anthony Rizzo broke his forearm and Giancarlo Stanton injured his hamstring.
Davis hit.232 with four home runs and five RBIs in 135 plate appearances with the A’s, who signed him to a $2.5 million contract in mid-March before designating him for assignment on Tuesday. Davis defeated San Francisco in arbitration and was awarded a $6.9 million salary as part of a non-guaranteed contract before being dismissed by the Giants and receiving $1,112,903 in termination compensation.
Davis, a 31-year-old right-handed batter, with a.273 batting average, 119 home runs, and 386 RBIs in eight seasons with the Houston Astros (2017-18), New York Mets (2019-22), Giants (2022-23), and Oakland Athletics.
Rizzo injured his right forearm on June 16 and is expected to be out until August. The Yankees’ regular designated hitter, Stanton, hurt his left hamstring on Saturday.
In Rizzo’s absence, New York called up minor leaguer Ben Rice to fill in at first.
Groshans, 24, batted.232 with one home run and 15 RBIs in 50 games this season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset. The Yankees claimed him off waivers from Miami on February 13.
“I’m assuming that he’ll probably go to Double-A for us to play shortstop every day,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before his team’s game against the Twins. “I believe Jack Wilson will return to the Triple-A team as early as next week. Obviously, Nick Allen is there. So there is some depth in the center right now. It’s just wonderful to have another player that can play the center.”
Stanton was placed on the injured list for the eighth time in six seasons on Sunday, one day after injuring his left hamstring.
Stanton, a 34-year-old former MVP, departed Saturday night’s 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves and was expected to undergo imaging Sunday. Stanton singled off the center-field wall in the fourth inning and winced as he came around third base on Gleyber Torres’ double. Trent Grisham pinch hit for Stanton to start off the sixth inning.
“We know it will be at least ten days. So we’ll see how severe it is,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday. “I will say G was in pretty good spirits last night, so hopefully that’s a result of it hopefully not being too severe.”
Stanton missed 266 of 708 games over the last five seasons (38%). He appeared to be walking gingerly as he left the locker room on Saturday night.
At the annual GM meetings on Nov. 13, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman stated, “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.”
When a visibly thinner Stanton arrived at spring training, he remarked simply: “He knows my reaction to that.”
According to Boone, Aaron Judge will likely see more designated days while Stanton is away, and Grisham will be the primary outfield replacement after gaining outfield experience. Grisham was hitting.113 with four home runs and ten RBIs in 77 plate appearances, including 21 outfield starts.
“This should give him that uptick of playing time,” according to Boone.
Stanton has played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games, none in the field, and is hitting.246 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI. He is the current leader in home runs with 420 and is having his healthiest season with the Yankees since his debut 158-game season in 2018, when he was acquired from Miami.
“He’s been the force you need in the middle. “He’s been a threat every day,” Boone stated.
Stanton missed the previous five seasons due to a strained right biceps and posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadriceps (2021), right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis (2022), and a strained left hamstring (2023).
“He’s been such a force for this offense,” said Judge, who leads the majors in home runs with 28. “Hitting the homers, coming up clutch with guys on base — that’s a big part of his game.”
Oswald Peraza, baseball infielder, was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Boone said Jasson DomÃnguez would have been Stanton’s roster replacement if he hadn’t strained his left oblique with the RailRiders on June 15. The injury is anticipated to keep the outfielder out until mid-August.
New York, which began Sunday with a big league-best 52-27 record, had been reasonably healthy earlier in the season. Infielder DJ LeMahieu didn’t make his season debut until May 28 after breaking his right foot on a foul ball during spring training on March 16, while AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole didn’t make his first start until June 19 due to right elbow nerve inflammation and swelling.
