Yankees calling up Brandon Drury | What it means

by Felix Pantaleón

The Yankees will promote Brandon Drury from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before series vs. Red Sox, according to a report.

It’s not how Brandon Drury expected it.

But little about 2017 has gone the way Drury thought it would.

The Yankees will call up Drury and he’ll be active before Friday’s game against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Source: #Yankees promoting infielder Brandon Drury from Triple A. Will be active tomorrow night against #RedSox.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 29, 2018

Why: The Yankees will face three lefty starting pitchers in Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez, David Price and Chris Sale this weekend. Drury, a righty hitter, has hit lefties at a .306 clip with a .918 OPS this season. He’s been in the minors for 49 games, hitting .295 with six homers and 29 RBI.

Why, part 2: Drury has played three straight games at first base at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and six total. With Greg Bird struggling — the 25-year-old has hit just. 191 with three homers and six RBI in 28 games — it’s possible the Yankees could start looking at giving at-bats to Drury at the position.

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Refresher: Drury has been in the minors because he’s been blocked by the surprise play of rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar. Drury went on the disabled list April 6 with blurred vision and headaches. That opened the door for Andujar, a highly regarded prospect who hit .276 with 11 homers, 35 RBI and a .809 OPS in 68 games. Andujar has also been a better-than-expected defender. Drury had spent two years as a full-time second baseman with the Diamondbacks, hitting .275 while averaging 14 homers and 58 RBI.

Trade bait? The Yankees could look at dealing with Drury or Andjuar before the deadline as they look to boost their starting rotation. The Yankees have been hesitant to include Andujar in trade talks, according to multiple reports. The Yankees acquired Drury early in spring training for two mid-level prospects whose paths to the majors were blocked.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.