NEW YORK — Jon Berti showcased his skills at first base during his debut in the position, despite the New York Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, which tied their American League Division Series at one game each.
Berti took over at first base due to Anthony Rizzo’s injury and made several impressive plays, including a clean fielding of Yuli Gurriel’s challenging infield hit in the second inning and a diving catch that led to an unassisted double play in the sixth inning, preventing at least one run from scoring.
“I thought he was great over there tonight and at the plate,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
Berti displayed quick reflexes during a play against pinch hitter MJ Melendez, catching a hard line drive and turning it into a double play by stepping on first base to get Michael Massey out.
“Just reacted to it, obviously, and glad we’re able to get out of that and give ourselves a chance moving forward,” Berti commented after the game.
At the plate, Berti finished 1-for-4, striking out twice and managing a single in the ninth inning.
“Berti’s an athlete,” praised Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. “You can put him anywhere on the field, and he’s going to make plays.”
Acquired from Miami before the start of the season, Berti had hit .273 in 25 games for the Yankees while playing various infield and outfield positions. This was his first substantial time at first base, apart from a brief stint during spring training in 2021.
With Rizzo unable to play due to fractured fingers, Oswaldo Cabrera manned first base in the series opener, where he had a mixed performance with a single and three strikeouts.
Manager Boone commended Berti for his handling of Gurriel’s grounder, acknowledging the difficulty of the play for someone unaccustomed to first base. Boone is optimistic about Rizzo’s potential return if the Yankees progress to the League Championship Series.
Berti had spent time refining his first base technique with coach Travis Chapman and Rizzo in preparation for the game.
As the Yankees prepare for Game 3 in Kansas City on Wednesday night, Boone announced that Clarke Schmidt would be the starting pitcher, moving away from using Luis Gil. Schmidt, a right-hander, had a solid season with a 2.85 ERA and is expected to follow Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon in the rotation for the remainder of the series.
Gil, another rookie option for the Yankees, had a strong season but struggled with control, leading the league in walks. Boone expressed confidence in both pitchers, indicating that there may still be opportunities for Gil in future games.