BOSTON — Matt Carpenter was within the lineup in left discipline at Fenway Park on Friday evening, the fourth spot he has began at in his quick Yankees tenure.
Shifting across the discipline is nothing new for him.
“I’ve at all times been open to taking part in wherever,’’ Carpenter mentioned earlier than going 3-for-4 with a house run and two RBIs within the Yankees’ 12-5 win over the Pink Sox. “There was a time [in my career] I moved nearly yearly.”
Together with when he was one of many premier hitters within the Nationwide League.
“I used to be an All-Star at second base in 2013 they usually requested me to maneuver to 3rd the very subsequent yr,” Carpenter mentioned. “So I moved to 3rd then to first.”
Every time, Carpenter mentioned, he simply rolled with the change.
“I simply need to play,’’ Carpenter mentioned. “I don’t care the place. I've zero regrets. Folks typically inform me I ought to have stayed at one place. However all the explanations had been good and made the group higher. If the lineup is best with me elsewhere within the discipline, that’s tremendous with me.”
It started in 2012, when the Cardinals, Carpenter mentioned, had a veteran group and wanted somebody to fill in at totally different positions.
“I’d been an infielder all my life,” Carpenter mentioned. “And in 2012, it was the precise state of affairs as this one. I used to be just about a rookie and we had a very established group with good gamers that wanted some days off. That opened some alternatives as a result of I used to be swinging the bat properly. It was the identical group dynamic as right here.”
Although Carpenter mentioned the concept of him taking part in the outfield for the primary time in almost a decade wasn’t introduced as much as him earlier than he signed with the Yankees after he requested his launch from the Rangers — the place he had been taking part in at Triple-A Spherical Rock — Carpenter didn’t flinch when the likelihood got here up after he had arrived in The Bronx in Might.
Since becoming a member of the Yankees, he has been at first, third, left discipline and proper, in addition to DH.
And in 14 begins, he has hit all eight of his homers and has an OPS of 1.184.
His mentality within the outfield is easy: “Simply be serviceable and have good at-bats. That’s the principle motive I’m right here. Make the performs you may make and simply be ready.”
Up to now, it’s labored out.
“Each day that passes and I get extra reps, I really feel extra comfy,” Carpenter mentioned. “I’m not in line for a Gold Glove right here.”
And he believes the Yankees’ aim by the top of the sport is simply as fundamental: “Attempt to get him three or 4 at-bats and hope he drives in additional than he offers up.”
However he added it was not a transfer he or the Yankees made rashly.
“We’ve been engaged on this for a few weeks,” Carpenter mentioned. “It’s not like they simply threw this collectively.”
After the preliminary dialog, Carpenter started doing work within the outfield at numerous parks, figuring out he is likely to be there in some unspecified time in the future.
Via all of it, the lefty-swinging Carpenter has continued to hit, which is why he remained assured he would get at-bats in some unspecified time in the future.
“Any group I’ve performed on, at each stage, they need good bats within the lineup,” Carpenter mentioned. “We definitely have a ton of them on this membership and now we have nice gamers at numerous totally different positions, so there’s not a ton of spots to play.”
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