Rougned Odor was officially activated by the Yankees on Saturday, and was in the lineup for his first start on Sunday, hitting sixth and playing second base. A dream come true, even if it was the result of the tough circumstances of being designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers at the end of spring training.
“That was difficult, but I always trust myself, and I knew someone would pick me up. I continued to practice and stay ready, so I was ready to answer the call,” Odor said Sunday morning. “When I found out I was coming here, I was so happy. I think every kid wants to grow up and play for the Yankees.”
He got a little bit of intel from injured catcher Robinson Chirinos, a good friend of his and former teammate in Texas who spent this spring with the Yankees and is now rehabbing a fractured wrist at the Alternate Site.
“He’s one of my best friends, and we work out together in the offseason, so I asked him a lot of questions,” Odor said. “Everything he said was good about this team. We have a lot of good people and personalities here, and I just want to come in and do my best to help the team win games.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said shortly after Odor was acquired that this move was “a chance to get a very talented 27-year-old player with real upside,” and they hope that they can “unlock some things that help him get back to the impact player he was in his first couple years in Texas.”
Odor wouldn’t discuss any conversations about those mechanics – “it’s going to be step by step, but I’m going to do what I can to help the team win” was all he said – but he did discuss one other thing the Yankees mentioned: his new defensive versatility, mainly the ability to play third base.
“I feel good at third base; I’ve never played there before, but I only played there in spring training, and took a lot of balls there, and it felt good,” he said. “The throws are different, because I’m used to having first base on my left side; at third it’s more in front of me, so I have to move my feet more to make the right throws. But I feel really good about it.”
One thing he has mixed feelings on though, perhaps? Something everyone is asked whenever they come to the Yankees: shaving their facial hair.
Odor, unfortunately, fell into a similar category as Andrew McCutchen, becoming unrecognizable to his daughter, Emma, who just turned three this week.
“It was weird, and I feel weird – even my daughter doesn’t want to look at me!” Odor smiled. “She didn’t want to look at me, she was walking away from me!”
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