Yankees trade for ex-Mets infielder J.D. Davis in deal with A’s

The New York Yankees added a veteran reinforcement to their beleaguered corner-infield mix on Sunday, acquiring J.D. Davis in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.

Davis, 31, hit .236 with four home runs and a .670 OPS in 39 games with Oakland, appearing in 24 games at first base and another 14 at third.

Oakland, which designated Davis for assignment last week, received minor-league infielder Jordan Groshans in the deal. The A’s also sent cash considerations to the Yankees.

Davis is a career .259 hitter with 72 home runs in eight MLB seasons, four of which he spent with the Mets from 2019-22. He hit .248 with 18 home runs with 69 RBI with San Francisco last season.

A right-handed hitter, Davis also has experience in left field but has not played the position since 2022.

Davis’ arrival comes a week after the Yankees lost first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a fractured forearm, which is expected to keep him out for about two months.

Third baseman DJ LeMahieu, meanwhile, has struggled since returning from a broken foot, entering Sunday with a .194 average and without an extra-base hit through his first 20 games of the season.

The Yankees are also without speedy third baseman Jon Berti, who is on the 60-day injured list with a calf strain. Last week, the Yankees called up rookie first baseman Ben Rice, a converted catcher, to help fill Rizzo’s void.

Davis’ best season came in 2019, when he hit .307 with 22 home runs for the New York Mets.

To help facilitate Sunday’s transaction, the Yankees moved reliever Nick Burdi (hip) to the 60-day IL, opening a spot for Davis on the 40-man roster.

Originally the 12th overall pick in the 2018 draft by Toronto, the 24-year-old Groshans joined the Yankees organization in February after being waived by Miami. He batted .232 with a .310 on-base percentage and .280 slugging percentage in 50 games between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

____