Yankees bench slumping catcher Gary Sanchez yet again
Facing elimination ahead of Game 4 of the American League Division Series versus the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has once again benched slumping catcher Gary Sanchez.
Kyle Higashioka, who has become the personal catcher for ace Gerrit Cole, will bat ninth and catch Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 5.11). Higashioka went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the series opener against Tampa Bay. In 12 postseason at-bats, he's tallied three hits and one RBI with one strikeout.
Sanchez, named to All-Star squads in 2017 and 2019, hit an abysmal .147 and also committed four interference errors during the pandemic-shortened campaign. In Tuesday's Game 2 against Tampa Bay, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Sanchez has only one hit this postseason.
“We’ve definitely got to find an adjustment there,” Sanchez said of his defensive woes in late September, per Bryan Hoch of the club's official website. “I need to close certain stances to certain hitters.”
Higashioka is more stable behind the plate than Sanchez and is currently a better hitter than the 27-year-old who belted 34 home runs last season, making Boone's decision all the easier.
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