The Good Problem the Yankees Have When Didi Gregorius Comes Back
Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius will return from Tommy John surgery in early June, and Sir Didi will be the starting shortstop everyday. Despite all the injuries, the Yankees are coming off their best May in 60 years going 20 and 7. As New York starts to get reinforcements back, they will have to make some tough choices.
Of course, this means somebody will have to go down to Triple A. The odd man out would probably be Thairo Estrada. For a guy who does not play everyday, Thairo has held his own batting .304 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs. New York is carrying 13 pitchers because of the injuries to the starters, so this option is quite possible, with probably a slim chance he stays. Playing 162 games a year, teams will always have to battle through injuries, so whatever the move the Yankees might make, there is a good chance you will see him back up in the big leagues at some point.
What changes can you expect to see in the lineup when Didi returns? Gleyber Torres will most likely return to 2nd base, which means DJ LeMahieu will be the everyday 3rd baseman. LeMahieu can play every position in the infield. Luke Voit will still man 1st base. What does that do to Gio Urshela? Aaron Boone said Gio will play about 4 times a week, and being in the American League, they utilize a designated hitter. The majority of the time last year, Gregorius batted in the 3 hole, and 62 times he batted 4–6 and even batted second once. With Judge and Station still out, Didi will definitely fit right into the middle of the lineup and should contribute right away.
Since the Yankees acquired Didi in the offseason of 2014 to replace the legend of Derek Jeter, he has been sensational and will only make this team better for the dog days of summer. I do not think that people give him enough credit for the shoes he had to fill. As more and more reinforcements come back. this team will get even better.
