Although there’s been no official announcement yet, the Yankees are expected to activate Curtis Granderson in time for tonight’s game against San Diego, according to beat writer Bryan Hoch.
Since the Yankees didn’t make a deal at the deadline for a bat, this will almost serve the same purpose. Granderson provides a lot of left-handed power and the ability to change the game with one swing, something the Yankees have been lacking all season. After all, this is a guy who hit 84 home runs from 2011-2012.
He brings patience as well, which is also a lacking trait on this 2013 team. New York is ranked 19th in baseball with a 7.5% walk rate, their lowest since 1990. Other than Brett Gardner, who averages 4.24 pitches per plate appearance, no other starter sees more than 3.75. In 2012, Grandy saw 4.27 pitches per plate appearance, and averages 4.16 for his career. His ability to drive the ball over the fence at any time and to wear down pitchers will be very beneficial to an anemic Yankee offense. He inserts nicely into the lineup, probably in between Robinson Cano and Alfonso Soriano – giving Robbie the protection he’s been looking for all season.
It’s been a tough season for Granderson, however, who missed all of spring training and the first month and a half of the regular season with a broken forearm. On May 24, just eight games into his return, Grandy was hit by a pitch on the hand and suffered a broken pinky which required surgery. For the season, he’s 7-for-28 with a homer and RBI.
Granderson does strike out at a high rate, but you take the good with the bad. This lineup needs run production, and over the past couple of seasons, there have been few better than Grandy. From ’11-’12, he’s driven in 225 runs and scored 238 himself, leading the league with 136 two years ago. With Yankees about as healthy as they’re going to be, they need to make a run and play their best baseball of the season over the next two months.
