Edwin Encarnacion rejoins Yankees, bats fifth

After spending exactly 30 days on the injured list with a fractured wrist, Edwin Encarnacion has rejoined the Yankees. Wasting little time, the designated hitter will bat fifth in tonight’s game against the Rangers.

Encarnacion landed on the shelf on August 3, after an errant pitch from Josh Smith hit the slugger in the wrist. It seems remarkable that he could suffer a fractured wrist in August and make it back in time for the stretch run, but the Yankees certainly won’t complain.

The 36-year-old is having a typical, productive year by his standards. He carries a .240/.346/.518 batting line with 30 home runs (127 wRC+) into this evening’s game. For what it’s worth, Encarnacion says he’s ready to contribute right away. “I feel good. I feel healthy. I feel 100 percent. Ready to go,” he told Conor Foley after yesterday’s rehab game.

As for today’s lineup, he will bat in after Gary Sanchez and ahead of Brett Gardner. Encrnacion helps lengthen the lineup; Austin Romine served as the DH recently.

The Yankees acquired Encarnacion from the Mariners on June 15 in exchange for pitching prospect Juan Then. Here’s hoping he can play a key role in the team’s postseason run.