Jon Berti excels in debut at first base with Yankees’ plans unclear

Not a lot went proper for the Yankees in Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Royals in Recreation 2 of the ALDS. 

By some means, it was the man taking part in a place he’d by no means performed earlier than that will have been the spotlight. 

Anthony Rizzo’s absence with two fractured fingers in his proper hand has prompted a little bit of a revolving door at first base for the Yankees — and it comes on the most crucial time of the season. 

After going with Oswaldo Cabrera at first in Recreation 1 of the ALDS in opposition to the Royals, Aaron Boone tabbed Jon Berti for Recreation 2. 

Berti entered Monday having by no means performed the place in a sport as knowledgeable. 

“I be ok with him, like I do with Cabrera,’’ Boone stated earlier than the sport. “Jon is a extremely good infielder and actually regarded the half with the work he did there this week. He’s athletic.’’ 

Regardless of the defeat, Berti was glorious all through. 

He helped finish the fourth by grabbing the cutoff throw from proper to get Maikel Garcia caught in a rundown. 

And Berti was much more influential within the sixth, with runners on the corners and one out, pinch hitter MJ Melendez ripped a liner down the road that Berti caught and was a double play to finish the inning. 

“I’m doing the perfect I can to be taught and be an athlete,’’ Berti stated after the sport. “I felt good total. I don’t count on it to be excellent. I’m simply making an attempt to be a baseball participant and I felt fairly comfy.” 

---

Observe The Put up’s protection of the Yankees within the postseason:

---

Berti additionally prolonged the underside of the ninth with a single to proper. 

Whether or not Berti will get one other begin at first is unclear, since Boone didn’t rule out rookie Ben Rice getting time there in the course of the sequence after the transformed catcher noticed prolonged time there over the summer season. 

“A part of that is [Rizzo] getting harm with two days left within the [regular] season,’’ Boone stated. “That put us in slightly little bit of a bind roster-wise.” 

Cabrera did properly there on Saturday, making a pleasant scoop of a throw within the filth by shortstop Anthony Volpe and credited Rizzo with working with all three of his potential fill-ins. 

Berti was acquired from the Marlins as a part of a three-team commerce late in spring coaching to fill in for DJ LeMahieu, who started the yr out with a foot damage. 

However Berti went down with a strained groin lower than two weeks into the common season and after returning in early Could, was misplaced for over three months with a calf pressure. 

Previous to this season, Berti had performed each place in addition to first base and catcher. 

Boone stated Berti performed some spring coaching video games there earlier in his profession. 

“I simply really feel like he deserves to be in there,’’ Boone stated of Berti. “If we’re gonna go lengthy on this [postseason], he’s gonna play a giant function for us. He had a extremely good week of labor over there.” 

The supervisor additionally famous Berti’s pace and bat-to-ball abilities as a part of his determination. 

He had simply 74 plate appearances for the Yankees this season as a result of accidents, however was productive on the plate for the Marlins a yr in the past, with an OPS of .804 in opposition to lefties. 

“He’s a extremely gifted infielder and brings a component to our lineup,” Boone stated. “It made quite a lot of sense.”