When Curtis Granderson suffered a broken forearm that would keep him out of action until May, speculation immediately began regarding replacement options. While the New York Yankees have a pair of veterans in camp competing for jobs, there was a sense that the team was hoping for a younger player to step up and take the job.
One of those younger players who have a chance to replace Granderson is Melky Mesa, who was slated to spend his spring playing for the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team. However, on Saturday, Mesa announced his decision to withdraw from the team, citing the desire to stay in Yankees camp and attempt to win a starting job in the outfield. The Journal News’ Chad Jennings reports that the Yankees did not push Mesa to back out of the tournament, and the team felt the experience might actually help him win a big league job.
Mesa has been one of the most productive players in Yankees’ camp so far, hitting his second home run and stealing his second base of the spring on Friday. He also led the team with four RBI’s heading into Saturday’s match-up with the Detroit Tigers.
Last season, Mesa split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before earning a September call-up to the major leagues.
Follow Dan on Twitter at @danpfeiffer74 for the latest from New York Yankees spring training.
Comments