Trent Grisham’s rare start helps Yankees sweep Twins as Juan Soto exits early
NEW YORK — A starter throughout his major league career, Trent Grisham has had a hard time adjusting to life as a bench player with the Yankees.
The six-year veteran plays elite defense in center field, but the Yankees have barely used the light-hitting lefty swinger with Aaron Judge, Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto — who exited Thursday’s game with left forearm discomfort — playing nearly every day. Thursday’s game against the Twins marked Grisham’s 15th start of the year, and he had gone just 2 for 39 (.051) previously.
“I think part of it is that inactivity and getting used to that as an everyday player,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Grisham’s poor performance after giving Verdugo an off day and sliding Judge to left field before Soto’s departure. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t come in and be a spark where his patience and power can play.”
Funny enough, Grisham did exactly that in the Yankees’ 8-5, series-sweeping win over Minnesota.
With a two-run shot off of Twins ace Pablo López, the No. 9 hitter gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the second inning. The pull shot to right answered Carlos Correa’s first-inning solo homer and gave Grisham his third hit of the season.
Two of the three have been home runs.
Minnesota tied the game at 2 when Christian Vázquez went deep in the third inning, but the Yankees responded again in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded and one away, Gleyber Torres smacked a single down the right-field line, plating two. Austin Wells added a sacrifice fly after that.
The Yankees scored their next run in the fourth when Anthony Volpe swiped third. An errant throw from Vázquez sent the shortstop scurrying home.
Next, Giancarlo Stanton drove in the Yankees’ seventh run with a single off of a diving Correa’s glove.
The Yankees looked like they had the game in the bag at that point, but a wonky fifth inning helped the Twins claw back.
First, Minnesota made it a 7-3 contest on a Correa sacrifice fly. Then Max Kepler sliced a fly ball down the left-field line. Judge, playing left at Yankee Stadium for the first time, reacted as if it was headed for the seats. Instead, it dropped fair before bouncing out of play, resulting in an RBI ground-rule double.
The ball had an expected batting average of .000 and a catch probability of 85%.
Two batters later, Marcus Stroman hit Jose Miranda with a sinker. The misfire ended Stroman’s night, and Ian Hamilton surrendered an RBI single to Carlos Santana before the inning ended.
Stroman totaled 4 2/3 innings, six hits, five earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts, two home runs allowed and 78 pitches in one of his lesser starts of the season.
Things got messy in the top of the fifth, but Grisham came through again in the bottom of the frame, getting a run back with a sacrifice fly before a rain delay halted the game for 56 minutes.
The Yankees ultimately won, sweeping the Twins for the second time this season. However, when play resumed, Soto was nowhere to be found. The Yankees announced his forearm issue a few minutes later.
As the Yankees await more details on the superstar, their attention now turns to the Dodgers on Friday.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Stone and Tyler Glasnow will start for the first-place Dodgers. Cody Poteet, Nestor Cortes and Luis Gil will take the ball for the American League East-leading Yankees.
