Yankees make Ryan McMahon-Amed Rosario lineup decision originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ryan McMahon has been one of the worst hitters in baseball this season.
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It’s a particular disappointment for the New York Yankees given what McMahon was supposed to represent — he was the solution to their third-base woes last season, acquired before the trade deadline from the Rockies to shore things up at the hot corner.
McMahon wasn’t great down the stretch of last season, but he also wasn’t miserable the way he is right now.
So far this season, McMahon is 2-for-23, a .087 batting average. He has struck out 11 times.
It has raised the early question of whether McMahon needs to be benched, and at least temporarily, there’s an answer.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Talkin’ Yanks on Tuesday that McMahon will sit out the series opener against the Athletics.
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In McMahon’s place will be Amed Rosario.
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Rosario is on the Yankees’ roster to play against left-handed pitching, but the A’s are starting righty Aaron Civale on Tuesday. This is strictly a move to try to get the best player in the lineup, and right now it’s hard to believe that McMahon fits that description.
The righty-hitting Rosario is just 1-for-6 to begin the season, but he hit .303 down the stretch with the Yankees after also being a trade acquisition last July.
It’s certainly worth trying something for Boone. Clearly, McMahon needs to work some things out, but the Yankees can’t let his struggles limit their chances of winning baseball games.
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