He's not the right-handed platoon bat the Yankees could use for Lyle Overbay at first base, but Travis Ishikawa can and will be the lefty bench bat this team definitely needs right now after the Yankees claimed him off waivers from Baltimore yesterday.
Ishikawa had just 2 singles and 8 strikeouts in 18 PA for the O's this season, making him a very expendable piece for them. His .316/.413/.525 line he was putting up in 208 Triple-A PA and career .260/.324/.399 Major League batting line are more telling about what he's capable of bringing to the Yankee bench. Ishikawa is a useful left-handed hitter with just enough power and just enough patience to make him dangerous playing with a short porch in right. He's also a plus defender at first base, so he can be used to rest Lyle Overbay without losing much defensively. His primary duty will be as a left-handed pinch hitter - a role the Yankees really needed to fill with their surplus of light-hitting righty left infield bats - and his career .739 OPS and .322 wOBA against RHP makes him viable in that role.
Ishikawa is another in the long line of small, marginal upgrades the Yanks have tried to make to this roster as the season has gone on. He likely won't be a world beater, but he will be a better late-game hitting option than Stewart or Cruz or Gonzalez if the Yankees need a run. I'd expect David Adams to be sent down to clear a spot for Ishikawa and I expect that move will happen later today.
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