Miguel Enrique Andújar (born March 2, 1995) is a Dominican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

and

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...

for the

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Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

. As a third baseman for the Yankees, Andújar finished second in 2018 American League Rookie of the Year voting behind

Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Basebal ...

. He hit 47 doubles, breaking

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...

's 1936 record for most by a Yankees rookie. Owing to several injuries, he never played a full season for the Yankees again and was eventually designated for assignment in 2022.

Early life

Andújar was born in

San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic San Cristóbal is a city in the southern region of Dominican Republic. It is the Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipal (''municipio'') capital of the San Cristóbal Province, San Cristóbal province. The municipality is located in a ...

Career

New York Yankees

Minor leagues

Andújar signed with the

as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

in July 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the

Gulf Coast Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

. He played the 2013 season for the Gulf Coast Yankees 2 and the 2014 season for the

Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Char ...

of the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

. In 2015, Andújar played for the

Tampa Yankees Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough C ...

of the

High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

. He started 2016 with Tampa before being promoted to the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the D ...

of the Double-A Eastern League. After the 2016 season he played in the

Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...

. The Yankees added him to their 40-man roster after the season. Andújar began the 2017 season with Trenton, and he batted .312 with seven

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 52

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs), which were leading the Eastern League, through 67 games. Following a season-ending injury to

Gleyber Torres Gleyber David Torres Castro (born December 13, 1996) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees. Torres made his MLB debut ...

in June, he was promoted to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

Major leagues

After playing in seven games with the RailRiders, the Yankees promoted Andújar to the major leagues on June 28, when

Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2018 for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York ...

, the Yankees

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

, went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

. He made his major league debut as the Yankees' designated hitter that day against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk, breaking the Yankees' record for most RBIs in a player's first game. The next day, the Yankees sent him back down to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so that he could continue to play every game as a third baseman. Following the conclusion of the RailRiders' season, where Andujar had batted .317 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs in 58 games, the Yankees promoted him to the major leagues on September 16. Andújar began the 2018 season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but was promoted to the major leagues on April 1 after an injury to Billy McKinney. He hit his first major league home run on April 17. On April 23, Andújar hit a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins, marking his 7th consecutive game with an extra base hit. Andújar joined Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to ever have 7 consecutive games with an extra base hit under the age of 24. On May 4, Andujar hit his first career walk-off, an RBI single to secure a 7-6 win over the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

. On June 5, he hit his first major league grand slam. On September 29, Andujar hit his 45th double of the season, breaking the Yankees' record for most doubles by a rookie, previously held by

. With the Yankees, he batted .297/.328/.527, and saw the lowest percentage of fastballs of all MLB hitters (46.0%). He finished second in the

Rookie of the Year Award A Rookie of the Year award or ROY is given by a number of sports leagues to the top-performing athlete in his or her first season within the league. Athletes competing for the first time in any given league are also known as "rookies". Principal ...

balloting, behind

. On April 1, 2019, Andújar went on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain. He was diagnosed with a partial

glenoid labrum The glenoid labrum (glenoid ligament) is a fibrocartilaginous (but not fibrocartilage, as previously thought) structure attached around the rim of the glenoid cavity on the shoulder blade. The shoulder joint is considered a ball-and-socket joint ...

tear, but chose to rehabilitate the injury rather than undergo surgery. The Yankees activated him on May 4. He batted 3-for-34 before was placed back on the injured list on May 13. On May 15, Andujar was ruled out for the rest of 2019 after revealing that he needed surgery on his right shoulder. He underwent surgery on May 20. Andújar made his return in spring training in 2020, where he began playing as a

. He began the season batting 1-for-14 (.071) before the Yankees optioned him to their alternate training site. Andújar was placed on the injured list in early July 2021 with a strained wrist. After suffering a setback in his rehab, Andújar was transferred to the 60-day injured list on August 23. On March 22, 2022, Andújar signed a $1.3 million contract with the Yankees, avoiding salary arbitration. He began the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but was later recalled. On June 4, 2022, Andújar was optioned down to Triple-A Scranton and promptly requested to be traded from the Yankees. On September 8, Andújar hit his first home run in over 14 months, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. On September 22, 2022, Andújar was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Yankees.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On September 25, 2022, the

claimed Andújar off waivers. He played in 9 games for Pittsburgh down the stretch, hitting .250/.275/.389 with no home runs and 9 RBI. The Pirates signed Andújar to a one-year contract worth $1.525 million, avoiding salary arbitration, on November 18. The Pirates designated Andújar for assignment on January 20, 2023, after the signing of

Andrew McCutchen Andrew Stefan McCutchen (born October 10, 1986) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants, New Y ...

was made official. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

on January 26. In 23 games for Indianapolis, Andújar hit .284/.364/.500 with 3 home runs, 15 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. On April 29, Andújar had his contract selected to the active roster. He played in 13 games for Pittsburgh, but hit just .161/.212/.387 in 33 plate appearances. On May 19, Andújar was designated for assignment after

Rob Zastryzny Robert John Zastryzny ( born March 26, 1992) is a Canadian-American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, a ...

was activated off of the injured list. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A on May 22. On September 1, Andújar was selected back to the major league roster. In 30 games for Pittsburgh, he batted .250/.300/.476 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI. Following the season on November 2, Andújar was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A Indianapolis.

Oakland Athletics

On November 6, 2023, Andújar was claimed off waivers by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

. He signed a one-year contract worth $1.7 million with the Athletics on November 17. On March 22, 2024, it was announced that Andújar had suffered a

torn meniscus A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of ...

and would be out 4–6 weeks following surgery. He ultimately played in 75 games for Oakland, slashing .285/.320/.377 with four home runs, 30 RBI, and three stolen bases. On August 28, manager

Mark Kotsay Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975) is an American professional baseball manager and former outfielder. He is the manager for the Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Kotsay appeared in 1,914 MLB games for the San Diego ...

announced that Andújar would undergo season–ending core muscle surgery. On January 9, 2025, the A’s and Andújar agreed on a contract worth $3 million to avoid arbitration.

Personal life

In March 2022, Andújar was robbed at gunpoint at his farm in San Cristóbal,

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

. Andújar was not shot, but he was beaten. A relative, however, was shot in the finger.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Andujar, Miguel 1995 births Living people Athletics (baseball) players Baseball players from San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic Charleston RiverDogs players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Gigantes del Cibao players Gulf Coast Yankees players Las Vegas Aviators players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Major League Baseball third basemen New York Yankees players Oakland Athletics players Pittsburgh Pirates players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Scottsdale Scorpions players Tampa Yankees players Tigres del Licey players Toros del Este players Trenton Thunder players Indianapolis Indians players