Yankees catcher Carlos Narvaez notches hit in first major league at-bat
Saturday was an otherwise dreary game Carlos Narvaez will remember forever.
The 23-year-old catcher made his major league debut in the Yankees’ 9-1 blowout loss to the Rays when he was subbed in to catch the top of the ninth, then proceeded to single to left field in the bottom of the inning for his first career at-bat and hit.
Narvaez, who was signed in 2016 out of Venezuela, got the ball back and said it would be going to his father, who has “got to be crying right now,” Narvaez said with a smile.
A few moments later, Narvaez himself held back tears talking about his dad.
“He’s my hero,” Narvaez said. “He was with me since I was young. He was my first coach when I was like 3 years old. He’s been with me forever. Too much feelings right now.”
Narvaez, the cousin of former Mets catcher Omar Narvaez, said his phone already was filled with congratulatory text messages and videos.
Only his wife was able to attend the game, though he said his family is expected to be in town Sunday.
Anthony Rizzo said he expects to get a second X-ray on his fractured right arm “in the next few weeks and go from there.”
He hasn’t undergone imaging since he suffered the injury in Boston on June 16.
There remains no exact timeline for his return to the lineup.
Ben Rice has mostly played well in Rizzo’s absence, although the rookie entered Saturday in a 3-for-32 rut.
He doubled to lead off the bottom of the first.
Following Saturday’s game, left-hander Josh Maciejewski was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He pitched the final three innings and allowed two runs.
The Yankees will have to call up another arm for the pen Sunday.
Right-hander Cody Morris was outrighted to SWB.
And Scott Effross remains at Triple-A after recovering from Tommy John surgery that was followed by back surgery in December.
Boone said Effross is getting closer to getting back to the majors for the first time since 2022.
The manager added the right-hander was still getting back into the form he showed when they acquired him from the Cubs shortly before the trade deadline two years ago.
The fact Effross has minor league options remaining was a factor, as well.
“It’s a little of both,” Boone said. “We want to see him get to the level he was before the [elbow] injury. We don’t feel he’s far off from it. And it’s a [roster] numbers thing, too.”
Clarke Schmidt threw his first bullpen Saturday since going on the IL with a lat strain at the end of May and said it went well. He will likely throw a few more before facing live hitters as he looks to return for the stretch run.
Asked if Juan Soto’s numbers so far this season, which would be his best over a 162-game season, were because he was hitting in front of Aaron Judge, Boone said, “That’s a contributor, but it’s also a product of a great, great hitter that’s 25 years old that’s, for as much as he’s already done in the game, still a young man who’s still evolving as a player.”
J.T. Brubaker won’t be on a mound again anytime soon.
The right-hander acquired from Pittsburgh in March had his comeback from Tommy John surgery impacted by an oblique injury that Boone said will prevent him from throwing for up to a month.
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