Update: Yankees activate Travis Hafner

September 25, 2013 by Mike Axisa 22 Comments

Wednesday: The Yankees have indeed activated Hafner, the team announced. Sabathia was transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man roster spot.

Tuesday: Via Mark Feinsand: The Yankees are planning to activate Travis Hafner off the 60-day DL on Wednesday. They’ll have to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate him, but that won’t be an issue. CC Sabathia is a 60-day DL candidate thanks to his hamstring injury.

Hafner, 36, hasn’t played since late-July because of a shoulder injury. He hit .205/.300/.384 (86 wRC+) with 12 homers in 293 plate appearances before getting hurt. It’s an inconsequential move in the grand scheme of things, but teams can’t just leave a healthy player on the DL indefinitely. Welcome back, Pronk. Make yourself useful these last five games.

forensic

Sweet! Playoffs, here we come!
- dkidd
  
  i laughed
  
  then cried
  - forensic
    
    :-)
    
    This update is just low-hanging fruit for so many comments…
    
    “Well, he’s not hitting but at least he’s available for late inning pinch running and defense.”
    
    “Now he has one last chance this season (and maybe in his entire career) to get hurt again.”
forensic

I wonder if they’ve changed the roster/DL rules with the new CBA. I’ve seen a couple places (yeah, one was Wikipedia, I know…) that have said that you can’t be activated again if you’re transferred to or placed on the 60-day DL after August 1st.

Maybe they were just speculating since there are only about 60 days left in the season after August 1st or maybe the rules have changed. I’d be pretty curious to find that out.
rebecca

…
HateMclouth (formerly I’mVernon)

Screw Pronk we want Ben Francisco.
Joel

Just exactly what this team needs!
Steinbrenner’s Ghost

OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! HE’S IN GEORGE’S BOX AND HE’S BACK TO SAVE DA YAQUIES! OF ALL DA DRAMATIC THINGS I’VE EVAH SEEN!
Steinbrenner’s Ghost

any word on when Youk gets activated? We’re gonna need him in the ALCS.
Kosmo

Yawn.
Maris61

Why?
LarryM Fl

I can not wait for the Hot Stove season. We will see the direction this team intends to go. Painted in a box with the contracts of Soriano, Ichiro, Wells, Arod and Jeter. The mastery of Cashman will surface. Do not hold your breath.

Hal, Hank, Levine and Cashman get on the same Fxxkin page, please. Its OK to miss the playoffs but not with a team assembled in 2013. If you miss for a few years then go young with your decisions.

Let Kuroda walk. His 15 million can be used elsewhere. Ride the young guys on the mound and in positions. Forget Reynolds.
- Kosmo
  
  NY owes Soriano a mere 5 million for 2014 w/ Chicago eating 13m of his remaining contract. IMO that´s something of a bargain.
  
  Yanks could conceivably get a similar deal for Aramis Ramirez. He´s got 1 year remaining or NY could trade for David Freese who´s contract runs thru the 2015 at reasonable rates.
  
  Cut bait with Ichiro, Wells, Reynolds and Granderson.
  
  Jeter has an 8 million player option for 2014 which isn´t much.
  
  Sign Tanaka, Garza, Morales and McCann or a less expensive option at catcher.
  Sign IFA Guerrero to play SS or ?
  - LarryM Fl
    
    I agree with Soriano but of late his play remind me of the 90’s when he bring you up with his offense and bring you down with D and some base running. I lumped Jeter and Soriano with other punch to denote the age factor. We all love Jeter for who he is and the player he was but its time to move him off of the starting role at short.
Shittyshittybangbang

Is Alexander Guerrero getting any consideration from NYY ? If not, why ? Scouting ?
mt

1) Soriano is a bargain but if both he and Cano are on team next year, Yankee fans on RAB will go crazy watching two players take their time and pose at plate after hitting the ball hard. The shine will be off Soriano who like Reynolds and Granderson can look absolutely awful during at bats and bad streaks.

2) Everyone wants to give up on Reynolds (he has many flaws) but given fluidity of Arod situation he may be best fill-in on a 1 or 2 year contrcat weighing ability and cost (and I also think we need a better back-up for Teix) – otherwise, if we want Reynolds gone, what other free agent lokking for a long term contract is going to want to step into that Arod overhang situation (assuming Arod suspension is less than 162 games, which I believe will happen).

Similarly, I don’t see the Red Sox Drew coming here on a long term contract with the Jeter situation overhang.

Biogenesis nothwithstanding, maybe J Peralta would come here given his baggage (for 3B, I want a better defensive shortstop backing up Jeter) and not demand too much.

Maybe signing McCann as catcher eventually converting to backup1B/DH is the cleanest replacement situation (given what I call Arod and Jeter overhang for 3B and SS.)
mick taylor

sign cuban abreu. sign matt garza and ellsbury. trade gardner and a prospect for a 3rd baseman
- Steinbrenner’s Ghost
  
  Ellsbury is made of glass and is on PEDs. Once he leaves the Sox MLB will stop covering up his failed drug tests.
- Will
  
  THIS. IS NOT. MLB THE SHOW!!
I’m One

Yay?
ropeadope

Wednesday lineups:

Nunie leading off – someone please notify Eddard.

Yankees

1.3B Eduardo Nunez
2.DH Alex Rodriguez
3.2B Robinson Cano
4.LF Alfonso Soriano
5.RF Vernon Wells
6.1B Mark Reynolds
7.CF Curtis Granderson
8.SS Brendan Ryan
9.C- Chris Stewart

SP: Phil Hughes

Rays

1.SS Ben Zobrist
2.RF Wil Myers
3.1B James Loney
4.3B Evan Longoria
5.CF David DeJesus
6.DH Delmon Young
7.LF Matt Joyce
8.C- Jose Molina
9.2B Kelly Johnson

SP: David Price
Dan

I remember when he first got hurt and thinking, this actually isn’t bad (he was close to getting cut), they can put him on the DL, and then activate him for a playoff push as a pinch hitter! So, the timing worked out perfectly.