Derek Dietrich Earns Promotion to Yankees' Triple-A Affiliate

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Pinstripes
By Max Goodman | Last updated 5/17/22

Yankees' top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk isn't the only player making the jump from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

New York also promoted veteran infielder Derek Dietrich to Triple-A.

Dietrich signed a Minor League deal with the Yankees in April, the return of a familiar face for the Yankees after his time within the organization a year ago.

The 32-year-old, who hasn't played in the big leagues since 2020, proceeded to wreak havoc in Somerset to start the 2022 season. Over 18 games, Dietrich smashed seven home runs and racked up 18 RBI while batting .290 with an OPS of 1.131.

This transaction comes one day after Yankees No. 14 prospect Oswaldo Cabrera was placed on the 7-day injured list. Dietrich—who appeared at first base, second base and third base in Double-A—will bring his experience and defensive versatility to the RailRiders' infield at the next level.

Last year, with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Dietrich hit .215/.413/.393 over 36 games with five long balls. Dietrich hit .167 with one homer in 11 games with the Yankees during spring training last year as well.

With New York healthy and firing on all cylinders at the big-league level, Dietrich still doesn't factor into the big-league picture. As we've seen in the past, however, a luxury can quickly become a deficiency. Injuries could always open the door to a promotion down the road. And now, Dietrich is one step away.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Pinstripes and was syndicated with permission.

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