A Refsynder Moment

Rob Refsnyder's major league career has gotten off to a halting start. First called up to the Yankees before last summer's all star break, he played a few games at 2nd base but soon headed back to Scranton. He returned in the late summer, and on a club struggling for offense, provided a bit of a spark. He even started the Wild Card game against the Astros.
But the California product and Arizona college standout has had trouble finding a position. Change that, he was a good enough outfielder in college, but the Yankees hoped he could be re-cast as an infielder. We saw him as a 2nd baseman last season, with mixed results.
The trade for Starlin Castro closed that off as his ticket to the Bronx, so in camp, he was forced-fed a course in 3rd base. Too much, too quickly; the images of him being hit by balls in the face two straight days are hard to erase.
This year, at Triple A, he hit well -- as he always has done -- while being shuttled between 2nd, 3rd and the outfield. Perhaps his ticket to the majors is a "supersub," or maybe he's being showcased for a possible trade.
Saturday, with the A's starting lefthander Sean Manaia, Joe Girardi slotted Refsnyder in right field. And in his first action since being recalled, he delivered the Yankees most important hit of the day -- a 2-RBI double to the right field wall, after fouling off a bunch of pitches before finding one he liked. That broke open a tight game, making it 4 - 1 and giving Masahiro Tanaka the breathing room he needed. The victory enabled the Yanks to escape the AL East basement, the last place they expected to be a week before Memorial Day.
Yet, with Alex Rodriguez likely being activated Tuesday after 2-1/2 weeks healing his hamstring, Refsnyder couldagain be on his way back to the minors. So let him enjoy the credit for a big (and crucially needed) moment on a Yankee team trying to scrape its way toward the .500 mark.
(This image was taken March 8th when the Yankees played the Marlins in Jupiter.)

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