The Yankees’ hopes of calling up Carlos Lagrange as a bullpen weapon in the second half has hit a potential snag.
The Yankees’ hopes of calling up Carlos Lagrange as a bullpen weapon in the second half have hit a potential snag.
The top prospect landed on the seven-day injured list Thursday at Triple-A with a shoulder injury, a source told The Post. Lagrange is scheduled for an MRI to determine what he is dealing with and how long he may be out.
The flame-throwing right-hander was in the midst of a transition from starter to reliever, which the Yankees put into motion at the beginning of June to see if he could impact the big league bullpen later in the season.
Lagrange last pitched Sunday, throwing on two days’ rest, when he gave up five runs on four hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. He threw 20 pitches in the outing and averaged 98.8 mph on his fastball, topping out at 100.9 mph.
It was his seventh relief appearance and second time throwing on two days’ rest, as the Yankees had carefully scaled down his workload over the course of the month.
The 23-year-old had made a strong impression on teammates and coaches this spring in his first big league camp, consistently hitting triple digits with his fastball.
Yankees pitcher Carlos Lagrange pitching during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They are not saviors, but Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon’s expected return to the Yankees on Friday should at least offer some version of a life raft for a team that has spent the past week sinking.
Grisham and McMahon are set to be activated off the injured list ahead of a series against the Twins at Yankee Stadium, getting back two players that should help steady things at least defensively.
“Hopefully they’re a part of the equation [of getting back on track], absolutely,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Add some length to things. I think when you get guys back in the mix, then all of a sudden guys start slotting in a little bit more where they should be and you get more threats at different spots. So hopefully that’s something that’ll be a good thing for us.”
Grisham played in a rehab game Wednesday night, while McMahon, after dealing with food poisoning Wednesday, did not play in one Thursday, as the club had initially planned.
Grisham, who landed on the IL on June 13 with a right hamstring strain, should solidify center field again, allowing Cody Bellinger to remain in left field where he is best defensively and José Caballero to get the bulk of his playing time in the infield.
Before getting hurt, Grisham was one of the Yankees’ hottest hitters, batting .290 with an .847 OPS over his last 36 games. He should reclaim his leadoff spot against right-handed starters, with a ripple effect down the lineup.
McMahon, meanwhile, will shore up third base after he missed the last 10 days on the IL recovering from a peritonsillar abscess — with the Yankees cycling through Caballero, Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera there in his absence. Despite some rough stretches offensively, the lefty hitter had been respectable of late, batting .258 with a .790 OPS over his last 24 games.
Cabrera, who was called up from Triple-A when McMahon landed on the IL, is likely to head back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while the Yankees will have to open another roster spot for Grisham. It’s possible that could be Spencer Jones, since his playing time would likely be limited with Grisham back, though he has been one of the few Yankees who have actually been hitting of late.
The Yankees entered Wednesday with two sacrifice bunts on the season, then doubled their total with sacrifice bunts from Cabrera and Caballero. Both got runners to third (in the eighth and 10th innings, respectively) with one out, but the Yankees could not ultimately score them either time.