Infielder Jonathan Ornelas is opting out of his minor league deal with the Yankees, reports Francys Romero. He’ll become a free agent if New York doesn’t select him onto the MLB roster.
Ornelas signed a non-roster deal last November. He has spent the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s hitting .299/.362/.480 with nine homers through 280 plate appearances. He has fanned at a league average 22.5% strikeout rate with a slightly below-average 7.5% walk percentage. Ornelas has made a decent amount of hard contact and has a .368 average on balls in play.
That’s well above the 26-year-old’s usual level of offense. Ornelas was a .233/.331/.331 hitter at the Triple-A level coming into the season. He hit .208 without a home run in 32 big league games with the Rangers and Braves between 2023-25. The former third-round pick has been better known for his glove and versatility, as he can play anywhere in the infield.
The Yankees are splitting the shortstop work between José Caballero and Anthony Volpe. Top prospect George Lombard Jr. is nearing a return from the Triple-A injured list and has a chance to debut late in the season. Max Schuemann has played well in a utility role, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they let Ornelas explore other opportunities.
