In case the injuries continue, the Yankees added some infield depth Sunday.
The Yankees announced they had claimed Breyvic Valera off waivers from the Giants, and they’ll send the 27-year-old from Venezuela to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, they moved Greg Bird to the 60-day disabled list. Bird, who has said timetables are “pointless,” last played a game April 13.
Valera, a second and third baseman, adds some depth to a farm system that has graduated Gio Urshela and Thairo Estrada, valuable contributors since injuries forced their call-ups.
Valera, who has appeared in 37 big-league games since his 2017 debut, has played in the majors for the Cardinals, Dodgers and Orioles. At Triple-A this year, the switch-hitter was slashing .257/.396/.338 with a home run and two steals in 24 games. He rarely strikes out, having K’d 10 times and walked 16 times.