TAMPA — Marwin Gonzalez isn’t losing any time making his case to land on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
Playing his fourth place in as many video games since signing a minor league take care of the Yankees final weekend, Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on Tuesday, together with his third dwelling run of the spring, and flashed some protection at first base within the Yankees’ 14-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field.
“Just putting together a lot of good at-bats right now, moving around the diamond,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “Seeing him proper now and seeing what we’re seeing bodily from him, it makes you suppose that final yr was only a blip, that final yr was a foul yr.
“That said, we’re in March and trying to keep that in perspective. But he’s definitely come in here and we couldn’t have expected much more.”
The 33-year-old Gonzalez hasn’t had a productive yr offensively since 2019, his first yr with the Twins after thriving with the Astros. But in 144 video games between 2020-2021 (break up between the Twins, Red Sox and Astros), Gonzalez hit simply .204 with a 60 OPS-plus (100 being common).
The switch-hitting super-utilityman is 6-for-11 in 4 video games this spring, although, whereas beginning at shortstop, left subject, second base and first base. He confirmed off his protection at first base Tuesday, stretching out huge to snag an off-target throw from third baseman Josh Donaldson within the fourth inning.
Last yr, Gonzalez began video games at second, first, third, shortstop, left subject and proper subject. If he wins a bench job out of camp, he may additionally serve as the Yankees’ backup shortstop as a substitute of getting to use Gleyber Torres there each time Isiah Kiner-Falefa wants a day without work.
“I feel good about him anywhere on the diamond,” Boone mentioned. “You know he’s going to handle himself well. And then he just brings a lot of those intangibles, experience. He’s done a lot of winning. So he’s certainly injected himself right in the conversation.”
