Inside The Pinstripes

Miguel Andújar Hits His First Home Run at Yankee Stadium Since 2018

New York Yankees outfielder Miguel Andújar hit his first home run of the 2021 season, clearing the short porch at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays

Max Goodman

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK — It had been almost 1,000 days since Miguel Andújar last homered in a regular season game at Yankee Stadium.

That drought came to an end on Monday as Andújar whacked a fastball from Rays right-hander Michael Wacha over the right-field wall in the bottom of the seventh. 

It was the first homer of the season for Andújar, who's been on the receiving end of an increase in playing time this month thanks to a slew of injuries across New York's roster.

"I've been consistently getting more at-bats, that's a big difference," Andújar said Monday through the team's interpreter. "I'm seeing more of an opportunity to get in there and play the game."

With two hits on Monday—a 3-1 loss to the Rays—Andújar is now hitting .302 (16-for-53) with five runs and three RBI over his last 15 games. That stretch began after the 26-year-old began his season by going hitless in his first four appearances. 

One of the lone bright spots for New York on offense recently, manager Aaron Boone perked up when asked about Andújar's performance.  

"It was good to see him get a couple really good swings off today," Boone said. "We know what he's capable of. Maybe he can get a little bit of traction going and certainly add some length to our lineup."

It seems like an eternity ago, but Andújar is only three seasons removed from his breakout campaign in 2018, finishing second in the race for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. He finished that season hitting .297 (170-for-573) with 27 home runs, 47 doubles and 83 runs scored over 149 games played. 

His opposite-field homer off David Price of the Red Sox on Sept. 19 of that season was the last time he went yard in the Bronx prior to Monday afternoon.

Since then, entering play this season, Andújar had appeared in only 33 games due to injuries and a lack of playing time. His hard work to develop into more of a versatile defender over the last two years has been instrumental in helping Boone find more ways to get Andújar into the lineup.

The opportunity will be there for Andújar for the foreseeable future. With Aaron Hicks out for the rest of the season—moving Brett Gardner to center field—and first baseman Luke Voit set to miss several weeks, there are multiple avenues for Andújar to see the field. 

The question is, can he continue to produce at the plate?

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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