Why Yankees Fans Should Be Excited About Miguel Andujar’s Return

The buzz around New York Yankees infielder Miguel Andujar has died down since it was announced he was headed to the injured list with a sore right wrist. It was later revealed that the 26-year old was diagnosed with right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. As we got closer to the regular season’s start, reports surfaced he would not be coming off the IL anytime soon. Since then, reports have been muted on a potential return, despite his low likeability to make the roster to begin with.

While we don’t have any official news on Andujar’s condition, his injury typically has been a volatile healing time. It is said to take anywhere from weeks to months to heal.

Considering the right labrum tear that was just surgically repaired in 2019 for Andujar, it’s understandable to not want to take chances with returning prematurely. Fans will look at his .242 batting average last season and hardly miss his production, but Andujar has performed better than the numbers state when given consistent playing time.

Of Andujar’s 62 at-bats last season, his first 31 plate appearances came sporadically. His first season after coming off of a serious, year-long healing process for right shoulder surgery saw inconsistent playing time. He wasn’t given much of a chance to truly get into the groove. Ultimately, his first 31 at-bats last season resulted in just three hits.

After August 28^th, his next set of opportunites came on September 4^th, where Andujar saw three at-bats spread over a double-header against the Baltimore Orioles. Andujar was finally given consistent playing time from in the early stages of September.

During that span, he saw 31 at-bats and took advantage. He strung together 11 hits, including four extra base hits. He struck out just three times en route to putting together a .355 batting average. That was much better in comparison to his .129 batting average he sported during the other half of his sporadic opportunities coming off an injury.

To this point, Andujar has played well when given the opportunity. That includes his rookie campaign that saw him finish second in the 2019 Rookie of the Year voting. Andujar could be the missing piece of the Yankees lineup, especially given the team’s close relationship with the injured list.