Yankees farm out Brandon Drury yet again | What it means

Infielder Brandon Drury was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday, July 9, 2018 (7/9/18), between games of the Yankees’ doubleheader split against the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md.

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BALTIMORE — It didn’t take Yankees management long to change its mind about Brandon Drury being part of the team.

Not even two weeks after recalling their Opening Day third baseman from Triple-A with a prediction that Drury very well could be back for the rest of the season, he was farmed out again Monday night between games of the Yankees’ doubleheader split with the Baltimore Orioles.

This roster move, which enabled the Yanks to call up Game 2 starting pitcher Luis Cessa from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, was surprising because Drury had started three games in a row and four of the last five at either first, second or third base.

“It’s terrible news to have to give a guy that I would echo is a big leaguer,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before his club’s 10-2 win in Game 2.

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The Yanks opted to dump Drury because they again want 13 pitchers and a three-man bench in which they’re currently keeping Clint Frazier as an extra outfielder, Kyle Higashioka as their No. 2 catcher and Tyler Wade as their backup infielder.

Drury was the odd-man out because he doesn’t play shortstop, Wade does and the Yankees have no other backup for Didi Gregorius with starting second baseman Gleyber Torres on the disabled list.

“It was a tough call between a few people that we probably had to consider and I think it was more about what gives us the most flexibility this week going forward roster wise,” Boone said.

Drury, who was 0-for-4 with a strikeout playing third base in the Yankees’ 5-4 Game 1 loss, didn’t help himself by not hitting much in April before his long DL stint with blurry vision and again not hitting much since being recalled from Triple-A on June 29 with a .314 average in 48 International League games.

During his two short stints with the Yankees, Drury hit .178 with one homer, seven RBI and 12 strikeouts in 45 at-bats over 15 games. After rejoining the Yanks, he was just 3-for-22 at the plate in seven games, five as a starter.

So now Drury will return to Triple-A and wait on another opportunity with the Yankees … or perhaps with another club if he’s packaged in a deal before the July 31 trade deadline, which is entirely possible.

The Yankees were very high on Drury when acquiring him in a February trade to be their regular third baseman this season after he was Arizona’s starter at second a year ago, but his blurry vision led to Baby Bomber Miguel Andujar taking over at third and playing well enough that he’s an early contender to win the AL Rookie of the Year.

“He doesn’t belong (in Triple-A),” Boone said of Drury. “It’s unfortunately the situation right now, so all we can do is encourage him to make the absolute best out of the situation. He’s done a good job of that all year of remaining focused and hopefully he gets another opportunity with us.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.