Ackley finds fresh opportunity with Yankees at second base

Of the many positions Dustin Ackley has played in the big leagues, second base was the first to be given and the first to be taken away. Now it’s the position that’s given him a fresh opportunity to resurrect his career with the Yankees.

“I’d love to stay here as long as I can and compete with these guys and hopefully make some playoff pushes,” Ackley said. “But yeah, it’s a good situation. Wherever they tell me to go, I’m going to go, and hopefully I can find my way to get a bunch of at-bats and win a job. That’s pretty much all I can do.”

Having played second base just once the past two seasons in Seattle – where he was thoroughly blocked by the team’s 10-year commitment to Robinson Cano – Ackley has now started at second base in each of the past three games the Yankees have played against right-handed starting pitchers. He was in the lineup even against a lefty on Monday, and there’s a solid chance he’ll be there again on Tuesday night against Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada.

Since returning from back injury on September 1, Ackley’s bat has been too valuable to leave on the bench, and second base has been the best way to fit him in the lineup.

“We really like the way he’s swinging the bat, and that’s a big reason we’re putting him in there,” manager Joe Girardi said.

With another two years of team control, and no in-house option having taken hold of the position going forward, it’s worth wondering if Ackley might have a chance to play second base beyond this season.

“I think it’s something that you have to think about, definitely,” Girardi said.

When the Yankees traded for Ackley at the end of July, they touted him as an outfielder first and foremost. He’d played all three outfield positions and a little bit of first base with the Mariners. The Yankees gave up two mid-level prospects to get him, largely because they liked his left-handed swing and thought he could be a more versatile version of Garrett Jones.

As Jones found out earlier this season, though, the Yankees don’t have many available at-bats for left-handed outfielders and first basemen. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury hit left-handed. Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira are switch hitters. Young guys Greg Bird, Slade Heathcott and Mason Williams are each lefties.

Where Ackley fits best is second base, the position he was most familiar with before Cano landed in Seattle.

“I definitely see that it’s not like they have a guy right now that is there every single day or whatever, that’s a mainstay or whatever,” Ackley said. “It’s something that I’ve definitely thought about.”

What the Yankees do have are Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, two Triple-A second basemen who hit from the right side but have yet to win the Yankees’ trust as big league regulars. Perhaps they could ease in as platoon options next season, or maybe Ackley could hold down the fort – and try to prove his own staying power – while the younger guys continue to work out the kinks in the minor leagues.

“I think it just gives Joe Girardi more flexibility from the bench, especially from the defensive side,” general manager Brian Cashman said after making the Ackley trade in July. “At the very least (Ackley provides) similar offensive production right now with some upside, as well as control years going forward if we so choose. It just gives us a little more flexibility, a little more youth as we move forward.”

This is Ackley’s fifth big league season, but he’s still just 27 years old, only a month older than Dellin Betances and less than two years older than Pirela. He was the second overall draft pick out of North Carolina in 2009 but has not yet lived up to expectation. It’s been there in bursts, but not with consistency.

Now he’s getting regular at-bats again, and he’s making the most of them.

“I think any time there’s a chance to compete – compete for a spot or try to win a job – it’s always a good situation,” Ackley said. “For me, I’m just going to continue doing what I’ve been doing, working out at second, first (and) outfield just in case whatever happens. From there, I’m just going to do what they tell me to do. That’s pretty much it. Work hard at it and just go from there.”

Associated Press photos

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