Miguel Andujar speaks out on Yankees, fresh start before Pirates debut

TORONTO — Finally out of his Yankees misery, Miguel Andujar resisted taking parting shots before his first game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. There was no griping about not getting regular at-bats year after year even though he put up sensational numbers as a rookie in 2018, no venting about the Yankees ignoring his requests for a trade for two years.

What Andujar did do during his pre-game interview Monday in Pittsburgh was make it very clear how elated he is to be in a new organization.

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“I’m super happy to be here,” said Andujar, who was claimed off waivers on Sunday and in their lineup for Monday night’s 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. “When I heard the news, I was happy to come here. It’s really exciting.”

Wrapping up another dreadful season, the 57-97 Pirates plan to make Andujar a regular over the final week-plus of the regular season to get a better feel on what they have for next year. In his first game, he contributed as the Bucs’ designated hitter batting in the three hole, going 1-for-3 with a single, walk, sacrifice fly and run scored. He’ll get starts in left field and maybe first base before the season ends.

“The thing we want to watch is the ability to swing the bat,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said in his pre-game interview. “It was a situation we thought we could get a look at him going into next year.”

For Andujar, this beats playing out the string back with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or perhaps getting a final-week call-up if someone got hurt.

“It’s part of the game,” Andujar said. “I played the best I can, controlled what I can control.”

Andujar was a surprise rising star in 2018 hitting his way to a second-place finish in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani. Although his play at third base was inconsistent and often criticized, Andujar was a huge part of the success of a 100-win ballclub batting .294 with 47 doubles, 27 homers and 92 RBI in 149 games, and he did it after not making the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.

“It’s not very often you’re able to make a waiver claim on a guy that’s had (a Rookie of the Year runner-up season),” Shelton added. “He’s been in a situation in New York where he’s just been behind other guys and hasn’t really gotten the opportunity.”

Injuries were part of the reason, as was Andujar not producing much during his subsequent chances with the Yankees. From 2018-22, he hit just .228 with eight homers and 26 in 105 big-league games, a stretch in which he was on the injured list five times and optioned to Triple-A 11 times.

What went wrong?

“I think I just had a lot of confidence (in 2018),” Andujar said. “I think playing every day helped me get into a good routine and I could be the best version of myself out on the field.”

The frustration began on the opening weekend of the 2019 season when Andujar blew out the labrum on his throwing arm sliding into third base, the injury leading to season-ending surgery. Healthy for spring training 2020, Andujar was moved to the outfield because Gio Urshela had a hold on the Yankees’ starting job at third base, then spent the season bouncing back and forth between the alternate camp and the majors when he was healthy.

Almost two full seasons and a more anguish later, Andujar is hoping to kickstart his career after being designated for assignment by the Pirates last Thursday and picked up by Pittsburgh three days later. He produced in Triple-A this season, batting .285 with 13 homers and 51 RBI in 71 games with Scranton, but now he has to do with at the next level, and consistently.

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Andujar still a young man at 27 and he still has three years of team control, but he’ll be out of options next season, so the Pirates must keep him or risking losing him. He’ll be getting a lot of looks for them over the next week and probably more next season, and for that he’s grateful.

“For me, if I’m in the game, I’m happy,” Andujar said. “That’s what I want.”

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

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