Jones promoted as 27th man for doubleheader

The wind was blowing in at Wrigley tonight, but Jones hit a 106-mph liner low enough get it out to left center. It was his third homer in four games, and he’s now at a solid .247/.333/.452 as a major leaguer, even with his 40 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances. The Yankees aren’t going to have to choose between Jones and Jasson Domínguez for a starting spot for at least a few weeks yet, but if they had to pick today, it’d seem to make sense to stick with Jones.

Jones, starting against LHP Shota Imanaga, blasted a 418-foot dinger in the fifth inning to provide the final scoreline. Jones has enough power (four homers) and speed (three stolen bases) to be a fantasy factor if he keeps getting consistent playing time, so proving he can handle left-handed pitching is crucial for him. Jones is hitting .265/.324/.500 in his last 15 games and .236/.327/.416 in 89 at bats on the season.

Spencer Jones truthers stand up! Well, not really. He socked a three-run homer in the first inning and then a 111 mph single in the sixth. After that single, he stole second base too. That’s three home runs and two stolen bases through 95 plate appearances this season, which is enough to make him intriguing in deeper leagues. Especially with Cody Bellinger out until September and Jones’ opportunity to grab regular playing time depending on whether or not the Yankees acquire an outfielder ahead of the trade deadline. Just be advised that he still has a 40% strikeout rate and that’s unlikely to improve much given his track record in the upper minors.

With Cody Bellinger (hamstring) landing on the injured list on Sunday, Jones will get another opportunity to show the Yankees what he can do at the big league level. The 25-year-old has slashed .224/.314/.355 with two homers, seven RBI, one stolen base and a 35/10 K/BB ratio over 86 plate appearances with the Bombers this season.

Bellinger came up a little lame while running out a double in the top of the eighth. He stayed in to run and waved off the trainer when they started to pay him a visit on the basepaths, but he didn’t come back out for defense afterwards. If Bellinger needs to miss some time, the Yankees would likely recall Spencer Jones.

The Yankees needed to clear a spot on their roster for Brendan Beck to start on Saturday, and with Trent Grisham back from the injured list Jones became expendable. The dynamic 25-year-old hit .233/.317/.370 with two homers, seven RBI, one stolen base and a 34/9 K/BB ratio over 82 plate appearances during his time with the Bombers.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that a few members of the team are dealing with food poisoning, so perhaps Jones is one of them. The 25-year-old is hitting .225/.313/.366 in his 80 MLB plate appearances this season with a 42.5 percent strikeout rate and a 20.5 percent swinging strike rate. With Trent Grisham (hamstring) set to return this weekend, Jones may be headed back to Triple-A. Jose Caballero will start in center field on Wednesday with Oswald Cabrera at third base and Amed Rosario at designated hitter.

There were only two hits from the Yankees tonight by the time he was pulled, so Jones’s bad game won’t be held overly much against him. However, he is just 2-for-16 with two walks and nine strikeouts over the last 10 days. The odds are increasing that he’ll be sent down when Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon return this week.

Boone added that Grisham is likely to play in at least one minor league rehab contest prior to returning to New York’s lineup. The 29-year-old outfielder hit the injured list with a right hamstring strain back on June 13 after slashing .232/.341/.406 with eight homers and six steals as the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching. It sounds like he’s on track to make it back at some point next week with all-or-nothing rookie slugger Spencer Jones likely headed back to the minors as the corresponding move.

Jones has seen his playing time slashed since Jasson Domínguez returned to New York’s outfield mix last week, starting just five times in eight games during that span. The 25-year-old’s all-or-nothing approach has yielded a pair of spectacular moonshots and a sky-high 40.6 percent strikeout rate across 64 plate appearances at the highest level this season.