Since the first series of the season against the Boston Red Sox, things really haven’t gone well for Curtis Granderson in his first month as a New York Yankee.
He hit two home runs in the series against Boston (one of which being a game winner against Jonathan Papelbon), but really hasn’t done anything since. He is off to a .225/.311./.375 start and those two home runs he hit against Boston are still the only ones he has all season.
Granderson still hasn’t figured out how to hit left-handed pitching either. “The Grandy Man” as that buffoon John Sterling calls him, is hitting just .161 against lefties this season and has 11 strike outs in 31 AB’s.
There is really no point for manager Joe Girardi to bat Granderson against any left-handed pitcher—at this point, he is an automatic out.
Not only has Granderson struggled with the bat, but now he is hurt. The former Detroit Tiger will be placed on the 15-day DL with a Grade two strain of the left groin. He hurt the groin rounding second base after a Brett Gardner single.
In Granderson’s place, the Yankees will move Gardner back to center and Marcus Thames and Randy Winn will platoon in left. My guess is despite his 1-for-13 start at the plate, Winn will receive the majority of the playing time in left.
For the record, Thames is off to a ridiculously hot start for the Yankees. In 20 AB’s, Thames is hitting .550 with a home run and three doubles.
To replace Granderson on the roster, the Yankees will call up RHP Mark Melancon. Melancon had a 1.76 ERA and 15 K’s in 15.1 IP for Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
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