Yankees News: Miguel Andujar Designated for Assignment; Zack Britton Activated

Third baseman Miguel Andujar's time with the New York Yankees could be ending.

The team announced prior to Thursday's game vs. the Boston Red Sox that Andujar has been designated for assignment. Reliever Zack Britton has been activated off the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2021.

Getting Britton back could have a huge impact on the postseason if he returns close to peak form. The two-time All-Star had a 5.89 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 22 appearances last season before being shut down with an elbow injury.

In eight rehab appearances in the minors, Britton allowed just one earned run with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

Per MLB rules, players designated for assignment have seven days to be traded or placed on irrevocable waivers. If the player is claimed by another team, he is added to their 40-man roster and will either be optioned to the minors (if he has options left) or put on the 26-man MLB roster.

If Andujar clears waivers, he will have the option to accept an assignment to the minors or be released by the Yankees.

The move comes after MLB insider Hector Gomez reported on June 4 that Andujar requested a trade following a demotion to Triple-A. He hit .229/.250/.281 in 96 at-bats in the big leagues this season.

After he started 2018 in the minors, the Yankees called up Andujar on April 1 when Billy McKinney was placed on the disabled list. The Dominican made the most of his opportunity, quickly becoming a regular in manager Aaron Boone's starting lineup.

He finished the season with a .297/.328/.527 slash line with 27 homers, 92 RBI and tied the American League rookie record with 47 doubles.

Thanks to the dazzling debut performance, he finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.

Unfortunately, an injured labrum that required surgery ended Andujar's 2019 season in May after just 12 games. He struggled to perform early in 2020 with a .160/.192/.160 slash line in 10 games before being sent to the alternate site.

After being recalled on Aug. 28, Andujar looked closer to the player he was in 2018 with a .297/.333/.487 slash line in 11 games. Even in a limited sample, it was the first time he played at the level he did when he looked like a budding star.

Last season, Andujar hit just .253/.284/.383 with six homers in 154 at-bats across 45 games.

Given Andujar's age and his performance during his first full MLB season, he's got good upside and is under team control for two more years if another club wants to take a chance on him.