Appendectomy ends Prado's season
Versatile infielder hit .282 with 12 homers in 143 games for D-backs, Yanks
ST. PETERSBURG -- The season is ending early for Martin Prado. The multi-skilled veteran infielder and outfielder underwent a successful appendectomy on Tuesday and has been placed on the 60-day disabled list by the Yankees.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Prado experienced discomfort in his stomach all day Monday but played through New York's 1-0 loss to the Rays. Prado went straight from Tropicana Field to a local hospital, where it was determined that he needed surgery.
"I'm not surprised with Prads; I'm not," Girardi said. "He wants to be out there. That's the bottom line, and you play when you're sick ... unless you physically just can't do it, but he felt that he could do it."
Acquired from the D-backs in a July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline deal, the 30-year-old Prado hit .316 in 37 games after the trade. He played in 143 games between Arizona and New York, batting .282 with a .321 on-base percentage and a .412 slugging mark.
The Yankees signed infielder Jose Pirela to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster. The 24-year-old Pirela hit .305 in 130 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, appearing at every position except catcher, pitcher and third base.
"We'll try to get him in there," Girardi said of Pirela. "He hasn't done much for two weeks. We'll work him out a couple of days, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't just throw him in there one day."
Prado figures into the Yankees' plans moving forward, though his exact role is as yet undefined. He is under contract through 2016 and was used at second base, third base, left field and right field by the Yankees.
"He's very versatile, swings the bat extremely well," Girardi said. "He's a smart baseball player. There's a lot of things you can talk about. He's tough. He grinds out at-bats. He's a really good player, so I'm looking forward to getting him back. It's a good piece."
Originally signed by the Braves as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2001, Prado had his best season with Atlanta in 2010, when he was named to the National League All-Star team after hitting .307 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs.