LAKELAND, Fla. — The competitors isn’t over, however J.C. Escarra is making an awfully robust bid for the Yankees’ backup catcher job.
The 29-year-old entered camp with a leg up on veteran Alex Jackson as a result of Escarra already cracked the 40-man roster, and possibly with a leg up on Ben Rice, who doesn’t have the status behind the plate that Escarra has. (Rice might additionally discover his means onto the roster as a DH bat and backup first baseman.)
Escarra has carried out nothing to lose the spot and many to win it throughout a camp during which he’s 10-for-28 (.357) with two homers, a .971 OPS and inspiring stories from pitchers.
If and when Escarra makes his main league debut, he’ll full a journey that borders on cinematic.
5 minor league seasons with the Orioles, who took a catcher and performed him at first base earlier than releasing him in 2022.
Out of affiliated ball, Escarra performed with a number of groups in unbiased leagues as a catcher and have become an Uber driver to make ends meet.
The Yankees discovered him, signed him and now would possibly carry him on the foremost league roster to be Austin Wells’ backup and maybe a DH candidate.
“There’s a lot to the grit that you develop through your journey. You got to survive a lot of slammed doors, and he has,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned earlier than an 8-6 win over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. “To have a 29-year-old catcher be put on the 40-man roster having not played in the big leagues I think says a lot about his perseverance and the quality of the player that he’s turned into.”
Max Fried allowed one hit and one run in an environment friendly 4 innings during which he threw 57 pitches.
He then jogged to the bullpen to throw a number of extra and get above 60.
Fried was blissful along with his stuff and blissful to work with Wells for the primary time in a sport.
“Obviously extremely talented, very smart,” Fried mentioned of Wells. “I’m someone that likes to have a lot of conversations with the guy I’m working with. Just trying to figure out what he’s seeing and just getting more familiar.”
Boone expects to call his Opening Day beginning pitcher on Friday.
Oswaldo Cabrera was scratched from the beginning lineup with an sickness that has been going across the clubhouse. Oswald Peraza obtained the beginning.
Everson Pereira performed the ultimate 4 innings in left discipline, his first time showing on protection since present process Tommy John surgical procedure in June.
The righty-hitting outfielder/DH was optioned out of main league camp this week.
Gerrit Cole’s Tuesday UCL reconstruction surgical procedure included inside bracing, Boone introduced.
Boone didn’t assume the newer model of surgical procedure affected Cole’s return timetable.
Clarke Schmidt, whose spring debut was delayed by a sore again, got here by way of feeling positive after beginning Tuesday.
The plan stays for Schmidt to start out the sixth sport of the season to permit a bit extra time for the right-hander to construct up his arm.
Boone mentioned he didn’t know when Giancarlo Stanton, who obtained his third spherical of PRP injections in his elbows Monday, would rejoin the crew.
