Melky Mesa to be Called Up on Tuesday in Wake of Mark Teixeira Injury

The New York Yankees announced through the team's Twitter account that they would soon recall Melky Mesa, a 25-year-old outfielder who split time between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton this year. This news was released the same day that the Yankees learned first baseman Mark Teixeira would miss at least 10-14 days recovering from his irritated calf strain. The horrible call at first base ending Saturday night's game in which Teixeira dove into first base because he could not run any more undoubtedly helped aggravate the calf. The lineup will sorely miss Tex's presence in the middle of the batting order and deal with some combination of Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez, Steve Pearce, and Casey McGehee at first base until he returns.

On the bright side, Mesa's promotion to the major leagues is the final step of a very successful season for Melky 2.0. He has been protected on the 40-man roster for a few years now, and the team's patience in him finally paid off. Mesa hit .251/.329/.404 with a 99 wRC+ in 105 games with Trenton last year, but he improved to .277/.344/.464 with a 130 wRC+ in 88 games with the Thunder in 2012, hitting 18 doubles and 14 homers as the team rolled toward a division title. The slugging numbers, which include a .372 wOBA, are especially impressive since it is notoriously difficult to hit for power in Trenton's Mercer County Waterfront Park.

The Yankees promoted Mesa to the Traveling Circus in AAA on August 2nd, and he hit .230/.271/.524 with a 119 wRC+, impressing with power through his nine homers in only 33 games. Mesa strikes out like a bandit (118 in 504 plate appearances against pitching not yet suited for the big leagues), but his power certainly shows potential. Mesa also has a good arm in the outfield and could be used as a pinch-running threat since he stole 22 bases between Trenton and Scranton in 2012. He will probably find his way into a few games as the Yankees test him out against the best pitching in baseball.