Inside The Pinstripes

Derek Dietrich Earns Promotion to Yankees' Triple-A Affiliate

Derek Dietrich is now one call away from returning to the big leagues.

Max Goodman

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Yankees' top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk isn't the only player making the jump from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

New York also promoted veteran infielder Derek Dietrich to Triple-A.

Dietrich signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees in April, the return of a familiar face for the Yankees after his time within the organization a year ago.

The 32-year-old, who hasn't played in the big leagues since 2020, proceeded to wreak havoc in Somerset to start the 2022 season. Over 18 games, Dietrich smashed seven home runs and racked up 18 RBI while batting .290 with an OPS of 1.131.

This transaction comes one day after Yankees No. 14 prospect Oswaldo Cabrera was placed on the 7-day injured list. Dietrich—who appeared at first base, second base and third base in Double-A—will bring his experience and defensive versatility to the RailRiders' infield at the next level.

Last year, with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Dietrich hit .215/.413/.393 over 36 games with five long balls. Dietrich hit .167 with one homer in 11 games with the Yankees during spring training last year as well.

With New York healthy and firing on all cylinders at the big-league level, Dietrich still doesn't factor into the big-league picture. As we've seen in the past, however, a luxury can quickly become a deficiency. Injuries could always open the door to a promotion down the road. And now, Dietrich is one step away.  

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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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