The Yankees have their replacement for the recently retired Jay Bruce, announcing they have called up Mike Ford from the alternate site.
Ford will get some time at first base with Bruce gone, though DJ LeMahieu has also seen some reps there, with Rougned Odor playing second base.
Ford won’t have too high a bar to clear in terms of eclipsing Bruce’s offensive production, as the 34-year-old managed just four hits in 39 plate appearances before calling it a career. He also struggled defensively at times in a position he had far less experience with compared to his typical spot in the outfield.
The 28-year-old Ford was one of the Next Man Up surprises for the Yankees in 2019, posting a .909 OPS in 163 plate appearances, hitting 12 home runs in that span. But he struggled badly at the major-league level in 2020, watching his OPS drop to .496 over 29 games.
Ford went 7-for-27 with a home run in spring training.
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