The Yankees finally won a game again. They beat the Twins 5-2 on Friday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak that had fans on edge. But the good vibes didn’t last long for one of their younger players.
Spencer Jones got optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game. It’s his second demotion of the season, and it came right as Trent Grisham returned from a hamstring injury. The math was simple. The Yankees needed a roster spot, and Jones was the odd man out in a crowded outfield.
The 25-year-old rookie made his MLB debut back on May 8. That first stint lasted ten games. He went 4-for-24 with no home runs and got sent down on May 22. Then Aaron Judge hurt a rib, and Jones got another call on June 5. That second chance went better. Over 20 games, he hit .265 with a .345 on-base percentage and two homers. His slugging jumped to .469. The raw power was there.
But so were the strikeouts. Jones whiffed 34 times in 82 plate appearances. That’s a lot. You can’t carry that kind of swing-and-miss in the big leagues unless you’re hitting 40 homers. He’s not there yet. The Yankees want him to tighten up that approach, and Triple-A is where that work happens.
Jones has been mashing at Scranton this year. In 43 games, he’s slashing .269/.378/.571 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs. An OPS near .950. The 2022 first-round pick has the tools. It’s about consistency and cutting down the empty at-bats. The organization still sees the upside. He’ll get regular reps with the RailRiders, and if the Yankees need outfield help later in the summer, he’s the first name on the call list.
Grisham is back now, so the immediate crunch is gone. But outfield depth is fragile. Judge has been banged up. Giancarlo Stanton is always a question mark. Jones isn’t going away. He just needs to make the adjustment.
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