ARLINGTON, Texas — Veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk was designated for assignment by the New York Yankees, clearing a spot on their roster to activate right-hander Elmer Rodriguez for his major league debut.
Rodriguez, one of the Yankees’ top prospects, is set to start when AL-best New York looks to complete a three-game series sweep at Texas.
The 34-year-old Grichuk, with his seventh team over 13 big league seasons, was hitting .194 with no homers and two RBIs in 16 games. He agreed to a minor league contract with the Yankees in late February that included an invitation to spring training, and he broke camp with the team.
Switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez was called up by the Yankees when Giancarlo Stanton missed his third consecutive game with a strained right calf before being placed on the 10-day injured list.
The 22-year-old Rodriguez, who pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, is taking right-hander Luis Gil’s spot in the rotation after Gil was sent to Triple-A following a rough start in a 7-4 loss to the Astros.
