The New York Yankees are bringing back utility man Amed Rosario for the upcoming Tampa Bay Rays series, but they must also demote someone to make room for him.
On Monday, NY Daily News Sports’ Gary Phillips revealed the unlucky ballplayer being optioned by New York: catcher J.C. Escarra.
The Yankees acquired Rosario from the Washington Nationals on July 26 for Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez. Rosario immediately raked in pinstripes, going 3-for-7 before hitting the Injured List with a left shoulder sprain he suffered while slamming into the Yankee Stadium right field wall on August 8.
With Amed Rosario expected back tomorrow, the #Yankees optioned J.C. Escarra.
https://twitter.com/GaryHPhillips/status/1957511321966022773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Amed Rosario returns from IL as Yankees option JC Escarra
New York hopes Rosario can provide another impact righty bat, and his 2025 numbers with Washington suggest he will do just that. In 99 plate appearances against lefties, Rosario hit .312 with a dozen extra-base hits for the Nationals this year.
Rosario, 29, is a career .274 hitter and was the American League triples leader in 2022 as a member of the Cleveland Guardians.
Escarra, meanwhile will rejoin Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders after another brief stint in the majors. Escarra earned an Opening Day roster spot this year but was sent down at the trade deadline to make room for New York’s new additions. He was recalled on August 10 due to injuries to Rosario and Austin Slater, but made just one appearance as a defensive replacement.
Escarra is a talented guy, no doubt, but his role on the club has been rendered obsolete now, especially with Ben Rice upping his playing time at catcher alongside Austin Wells on the depth chart.
The Yankees-Rays series will begin on Tuesday night at Steinbrenner Field, with Carlos Rodón (12-7, 3.25 ERA) taking the hill against Shane Baz (8-9, 4.93 ERA). Wednesday’s matchup is slated to be Cam Schlittler (1-2, 3.94 ERA) against Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.60 ERA). The Yankees will be looking to solidify their playoff standing after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium over the weekend.
New York entered Monday 5.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East crown and 3.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the third Wild Card spot.
The Rays, on the other hand, will be making one of their last attempts to salvage their playoff hopes, entering Monday 6.5 games back of New York in the playoff race. Rosario, a former pesky Ray for a portion of 2024, could immediately make an impact here with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge hobbled alongside Jasson Dominguez’s defensive struggles.
