O Yankees began their nine-game West Coast road trip on Friday with a dominant 8-0 win over the San Diego Padresbut they lost one of their internal defenders in the process.
Jon Berti hit a grounder in the ninth inning of Friday’s win, but as soon as he left the batter’s box, he fell to the ground in pain. It was unclear what the injury was, but many feared the worst as the way he fell to the ground and grabbed his calf caused a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, the Yankees revealed what happened when they placed Berti on the 10-day IL with a left calf strain.
Berti has been a solid outfield option for the Yankees, especially as a defensive replacement in later innings. He’s also hitting at a decent rate. In 55 at-bats, he is slashing .273/.322/.649 with one home run and six RBI. He also has four stolen bases on the season.
In a corresponding move, the Yankees recalled infielder Kevin Smith to the active list. At Triple-A, Smith is batting just .204, but gives New York a veteran infielder for now.
The Yankees also transferred DJ Le Mahieu to the 60-day IL to accommodate Smith’s move to the active roster. However, this is just a accounting move, as LeMahieu still aims to return to the team when the Yankees begin their series with the Angels on Tuesday.
