Inside The Pinstripes

What Calling Up Mike Ford Means For the Yankees

The New York Yankees have called up first baseman Mike Ford from the alternate site to replace retired Jay Bruce on the active roster until Luke Voit returns

Pat Ragazzo

The New York Yankees have recalled first baseman Mike Ford from their alternate site, the team announced on Tuesday morning.

With Luke Voit (partially torn meniscus) on the shelf until mid-May, the Yankees were forced to start Jay Bruce at first base to begin the regular season. Bruce could not get the job done, though. He was ultimately benched, which led to his early retirement from baseball over the weekend.

Bruce did not come close to meeting expectations offensively (.118 BA), which forced the Yankees to move DJ LeMahieu over to first base, and put Rougned Odor at second. Odor hasn’t faired much better than Bruce at the plate, batting just .125 in seven games entering play on Tuesday.

As a result, the Yankees opted to call up Ford, a first baseman that struggled mightily last season, slashing just .135/.226/.270 in 29 games.

Despite Ford’s recent struggles, the 28-year-old did show promise in 2019, smashing 12 home runs and driving in 25 RBIs and hitting .259/.350/.559 over 50 games. 

After both plan A and B failed, the Yankees are giving Ford a shot with Voit still a month or so away from returning.

The Yankees are currently on a five-game losing streak and their offense has been disappointing throughout their 5-10 start, the worst record in the American League. The Bronx Bombers aren’t playing up to their nickname with only 16 home runs and a .210 team batting average in 15 games.

So now here we are. The lineup needs some kind of shakeup and the hope is that Ford can provide a jolt of new life offensively. Ford’s left-handed bat also brings diversity to a right-handed heavy lineup that lacks balance.

While Ford doesn’t have to be the savior, the Yankees could certainly use a solid stopgap option over the course of the next few weeks until Voit returns.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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