Yankees lend fast outfielder option to make room for experienced infielder

Duke Ellis will return to Scranton as Yankees have opted to send him back to Triple-A, which will make room on their 26-man roster for Jon Berti. The veteran infielder has been rehabbing in the minor leagues for weeks now after suffering a calf injury and suffering some setbacks along the way, but he appears ready to go after dismantling the Syracuse Mets last week. Aaron Boone is a solid and versatile hitter in 2023 and seems ready to use him in a myriad of ways, including the outfield, as he has also played left field during that time in the minor leagues.

With some speed and contact ability, he could be valuable to the Yankees team in several positions down the stretch.

Yankees demote Duke Ellis, Jon Berti could return from IL

Duke Ellis only appeared in three games with the Yankees, getting a hit in his only at-bat and securing a steal in a pinch-running appearance yesterday. With Jon Berti returning, this was an easy decision, as the Yankees hope the veteran infielder can give them additional depth in the right side, as they have been stopped by left-handed starters on multiple occasions in recent weeks. There is an interesting strategy that could be implemented if the team looks to use Jon Berti in left field, as that has been their biggest weakness on offense.

They'd invite the speed and solid contact skills, but maybe Berti can hit like he did in 2023 and give them roughly league-average performance in a bottom-of-the-lineup role. In 17 games with the Yankees, he hit .273/.322/.327, not generating much power in his short time with the team, but after his first injury, he seemed to get hot, hitting .306 with a wRC+ of 116 in May before landing back on the bench with a calf injury that sidelined him for about 3.5 months.

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As for the Yankees' usage, Jon Berti is +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +1 Outs Above Average in left field and is also an above-average defender as a third baseman and shortstop. The overall value here as a backup is solid, but the Yankees have found solutions at second base and third base thanks to the signing of Jazz Chisholm and Gleyber Torres, who found himself as a leadoff player. If they use Jon Berti, it will likely be as a defensive backup late in games or as a pinch-runner, assuming they continue to let Alex Verdugo play left field every day.

With Oswaldo Cabrera barely playing and DJ LeMahieu seemingly out of the roster entirely, there isn't much playing time if you're an infielder who can't handle first base. It makes more sense to try him out in left field, although concerns about how he would handle such a task are more than justified considering how shaky Aaron Judge is on defense in center field and Alex Verdugo's glove is well above average in left field. The Yankees return home for a series against the Kansas City Royals to protect their razor-thin lead in the AL East.