Amid a flurry of roster moves on Sunday, the Yankees reinstated third baseman Gio Urshela from the 10-day injured list, where he spent the minimum amount of time rehabbing a left groin strain. They also reinstated second baseman Thairo Estrada from the IL and recalled catcher Kyle Higashioka and second baseman Breyvic Valera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
It’s welcome news for Urshela, whose first campaign with the Yankees has been explosive, to say the least. Prior to landing on the injured list -- the result of an inadvertent groin injury during a contest against the Mariners in late August -- the 27-year-old infielder touted a jaw-dropping .331/.370/.555 batting line with 18 home runs, a .924 OPS, and a career-high 3.1 fWAR through 414 plate appearances. He’ll continue to round out the club’s top five hitters behind DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, and Brett Gardner.
Even if those numbers prove unsustainable following Urshela’s recovery, it’s excellent timing for the Yankees, who will need a stable roster of sluggers when the calendar flips to October. Entering Sunday, they’re currently positioned at the top of the AL East division with a sizable 8.5-game lead over the second-place Rays.
