Tuesday night was just the fifth start in right field this season for Joey Gallo, his primary position for most of his big-league career before being traded to the Yankees last summer.
It was a sense of comfort for Gallo to be back in a familiar spot again, though he will continue to play wherever Aaron Boone puts him in the lineup.
“Right’s nice. I like it a lot,” Gallo said. “I used to be pretty good out there. it feels like home out there. just a different angle from the field. But I’ll play wherever they need me to play.
“If they ask me to play left, center, right, infield, whatever, that’s where I’ll play.”
Back in his natural position, Gallo went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in Tuesday’s breezy win over the Angels, temporarily breaking out of what has been a relentless slump that hasn’t subsided since last year’s trade. Could more time in his more familiar spot in the field help Gallo return to form at the plate, like a move back to second base did for Gleyber Torres?
It would mean more time away from his natural position in right field for Aaron Judge, though he has shown no issues manning center field when needed. On Tuesday, he robbed Shohei Ohtani of a home run and has been putting up MVP numbers despite being asked to spend some time in center this season.
“To be that big and play that explosive and cover ground like he does and with the arm he has, it’s pretty amazing,” Gallo said. “That’s a big guy. That’s the biggest fielder I’ve ever seen.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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