Yankees' Drury healthy, yet remains in minors: 'I don't belong here'

This past February, the New York Yankees acquired a player they long coveted in a three-team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays. Now, that player sits in the minors, trying to prove he can be a worthwhile contributor at the big-league level.

"I don't belong here at all," infielder Brandon Drury told The Athletic's Marc Carig recently when asked about playing for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Drury, whom the Yankees gave up two prospects to acquire, entered the season as the team's starting third baseman but was placed on the disabled list in April after experiencing blurred vision due to an irritated tendon in his neck.

He's since undergone treatment and is seeing clearly for the first time in years, but during his absence has been overshadowed by hot-hitting rookie Miguel Andujar - an early Rookie of the Year candidate.

Instead of recalling Drury to the big leagues following his rehab assignment, the Yankees kept him in the minors, where's he's crushed opposing pitching to the tune of a .917 OPS.

"You come to that point where you just have to accept it," the 25-year-old explained. "Obviously, I don't want to accept it. I need to be back in the big leagues quickly. I feel like I belong there and I can help the team win. At the same time, I need to do what I can do now to just get better every day. That's what I can do right now. But there's no doubt about it: I belong there and that's where I need to be."

Drury could become an ideal trade candidate for the deep-rostered Yankees, who appear to be interested in acquiring a starting pitcher with the July trade deadline approaching. But he's still under team control until 2021 and isn't even arbitration eligible yet.

Sources told Carig that Drury hasn't requested a trade despite his current situation, but teams have inquired about his services.