The depleted Yankees have added a free agent to the active roster, signing three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter to a major-league deal and adding him to the 26-man roster ahead of Thursday’s game with the Rays.
Carpenter, now 36, is a career .262 hitter with 155 homers in 1,329 MLB games, all with the Cardinals, from 2011-21. He struggled last season though, hitting .169 in 130 games for the Cardinals, and settled for a minor-league deal with the Rangers this winter.
In 21 games with Round Rock, Carpenter hit 275 with six homers, 19 RBI, 13 extra-base hits, 14 walks, and 15 runs scored, but he was released last Thursday.
Carpenter’s addition gives the Yankees a left-handed bat with positional flexibility, as he has played primarily third base but also has significant time at both first and second, and had also played both outfield corners in his career.
The Yankees are very thin at the hot corner right now, as Josh Donaldson is on the COVID IL and D.J. LeMahieu is dealing with a wrist issue, so the team will start Marwin Gonzalez at third for the fourth consecutive game on Thursday.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Listen live to WFAN via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
Follow WFAN on Social Media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
