This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
Billy McKinney took a fast first step after listening to the crack of the bat within the tenth inning on Sunday night time, expertly angling his physique to look over his proper shoulder as he raced towards the warning observe. With a leap in opposition to the left-field wall, the journeyman reached excessive to snare the drive, stealing further bases from Pablo Reyes of the Red Sox.
A sellout crowd of greater than 46,000 roared for the catch, and although McKinney’s play alone couldn’t propel his membership to victory, it was one other memorable second in a whirlwind week for the 28-year-old. Promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following Aaron Judge’s harm, McKinney has contributed on each offensively and defensively, together with belting his first Yankees homer earlier within the week.
“It means the world,” McKinney mentioned. “I’m just glad the Yankees gave me an opportunity, and hopefully I can help the team win any way I can.”
This is technically McKinney’s second tour in a Yankees uniform, although you may be excused for lacking his blink-and-you-missed-it debut.
Once a first-round decide of the Athletics within the 2013 MLB Draft, McKinney was swapped to the Cubs a 12 months later, a commerce that launched McKinney to infielder Gleyber Torres — then a prime prospect within the Chicago system. Torres and McKinney had been included within the four-player bounty when the Cubs acquired nearer Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees in July 2016.
“I know Billy from the Cubs, years ago,” Torres mentioned this week. “I haven’t seen Billy in two years, three years, I guess. And he comes here and hits a home run. I feel really happy for him.”
McKinney made his Yankees debut in March 2018, taking part in in two video games, although each had been on the street at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. In July 2018, the Yankees traded McKinney to the Blue Jays, packaging him with infielder Brandon Drury for left-hander J.A. Happ.
“I always was a little disappointed that I never got to hit in Yankee Stadium as a home player,” McKinney mentioned.
Over the following a number of seasons, McKinney performed with the Brewers, Mets, Dodgers and A’s earlier than discovering his means again to the Bronx, incomes a promotion by belting 9 homers in 40 Triple-A video games this 12 months. He lastly acquired that first Yankee Stadium at-bat in pinstripes, contributing a homer and a fantastic seize in a Yankees-Red Sox recreation.
Though heart fielder Harrison Bader seems to be nearing a giant league activation, there’s no timetable but established for Judge’s return from a right-big-toe harm. As such, McKinney figures to proceed selecting up at-bats for the foreseeable future, meaning to profit from his sudden alternative.
“It’s been pretty hectic,” McKinney mentioned. “I’ve kind of been around a little bit, but I’ve been grateful for my journey and I’m glad to be where I am right now.”
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