Written by Greg Fertel
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20 July 2007
Peter Abraham
reports that the Yankees have called up DH/1B/OF Shelley Duncan from AAA Scranton. Duncan, the brother of the Cardinals' Chris Duncan, is hitting .295 in Scranton with 25 homers, putting up a .380 OBP, and is slugging .577 will likely get some time at DH for the Yankees, with Johnny Damon struggling and Jason Giambi's return time unknown. He could also get some starts at first, although Andy Phillips is better defensively, and has held his own with the bat so far.
Abraham also
reports that outfielder Kevin Thompson will be optioned to AAA to open a roster spot for Duncan, which means that Edwar Ramirez will be around another day or two (probably until the 2nd game of the doubleheader).
What kind of impact will Duncan have, and how long will he be here? That is tough to say. He is starting tonight at DH, and hitting 9th, so Torre is giving him a chance right off the bat. It's hard to predict that he will stick as a full-time regular, but the Yanks could use his right-handed power, and even if he strikes out a lot (he probably will), he could give the inconsistent Yankee lineup the jolt it needs to continue its momentum. Best case scenario, Shelley becomes Shane Spencer or Jack Cust, and puts up good power numbers over a short stretch. He may be around until Giambi comes back if he plays well, but if he is 0 for his first 10 or so, it wouldn't surprise me if Joe sends him packing.
