Pirela finishes rehab assignment, joins Yankees
Infielder went 11-for-19 at Triple-A as he recovered from Spring Training concussion
TORONTO -- Jose Pirela returned from his rehab assignment and joined the Yankees at Rogers Centre ahead of their game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
The plan is to reinstate the infielder on Wednesday, at which point the club will announce a corresponding roster move, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
"He feels great, he's been swinging the bat well. He's here today, he'll work out with us and we'll go from there," Girardi said.
Pirela sustained a concussion after crashing into the wall while tracking a fly ball during a Grapefruit League game, and he began his rehab assignment April 30. In four games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Yankees' No. 24 prospect went 11-for-19 with one homer and four RBIs.
Pirela played a pair of games at second base, one at third base and another in the designated hitter's role at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Girardi said he hadn't yet decided where Pirela fits into the Yankees' lineup positionally.
"That's something we'll talk about," Girardi said. "The position he's played the most is second. If we feel we have to use him somewhere else, we'll give it a shot."
Girardi said having Pirela join the team before he's activated creates a bit of an awkward situation in the clubhouse, because a roster move will have to be made to make room for the 25-year-old.
"It's kind of strange, but we felt we fly him in today, and in case we don't possibly hit tomorrow, we'll get him on the turf and have him get an idea of what it's like," Girardi said.