When Miguel Andujar made 15 mistakes in 2018, outsiders looked in total and wondered if the Yankees could live with many of those boots, even if he managed to press well enough to finish second in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
After the season, the Yankees are more concerned about improving Andujar’s footwork – so he will be in a better position to do the field ball – than his total mistakes. Winter work disappeared because Andujar was limited to a dozen matches last year due to right shoulder surgery.
More footwork was followed during this last offseason and in the first spring training, before the coronavirus was closed. However, that did not stop Andujar from exercising at George M. Steinbrenner Field during quarantine.
According to Carlos Mendoza, Yankees bench coach and mentor midfield, the time Miguel Andujar spent in Tampa while the game was stopped helped his pitch.
“The footwork is much better and the toss, which originates from injury, is also much better,” Mendoza said on a Zoom call before the intrasquad match late Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
Miguel AndujarRobert Sabo
Andujar started in the right field to advance his development as a player who can offer flexibility. He lost Giancarlo Stanton’s first inning ball in the sun / lights when he entered for it.
“It’s about getting a direct representative and continuing work, confidence and staying aggressive at third base,” Mendoza said. “In 2018, his foothold is really low, and he’s fine. So we put him in a better position by entering a small jump when the ball entered the hit zone. That way it will allow him to have a better first step and better reading, hopefully, too much. ‘
Had Gio Urshela not taken over third place for Andujar last year and produced a decent year for the All-Star, Andujar would rejoin the Yankees as the third daily baseman. However, the best way to get your Andujar bat in line now is to move it. Before Thursday’s intrasquad match he took the ground ball and threw at first base.
With rain expected on Friday, the Yankees canceled their intrasquadism. James Paxton will throw and some players who need treatment will be at Yankee Stadium, but there will be no full training.
Five mistakes of Gleyber Torres in 10 spring training matches before the coronavirus closed the game was worrying for some people, because the Yankees let Didi Gregory who did the pitch-throw go through free agents and make Torres a regular shortstop.
Mistakes don’t make GM Brian Cashman worry, and Mendoza doesn’t make big problems when it’s happening.
“We don’t want to put too much into it. Obviously he made a few mistakes, we saw it. “We are pleased with the pregame work he does in it,” said bench coach Yankees, who worked with Torres moving towards his second base Thursday afternoon. “The biggest thing is staying aggressive and staying positive with him, we don’t want to produce too much from him. What has been we have seen so far, and when we are closed, he starts working. We are happy and confident that he will be fine. ‘
