Oswald Peraza belts homer with future roster spot in doubt: special moment

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— Twice, unprompted, Oswald Peraza said he is enjoying being a Yankee.The young infielder wants to remain in pinstripes and knows that he must perform to ensure he will continue to be a part of the team.Peraza performed Saturday, when he smacked his second home run of the season — a two-run shot that briefly gave the Yankees the lead in the sixth inning — in what became an elements-affected 11-7 loss to the A’s at Sutter Health Park.In what had been a tie game, Peraza teed off on a sweeper from righty Justin Sterner, pulling it down the left field line and clearing the wall.With DJ LeMahieu due back as soon as Monday in Seattle, Peraza’s spot on the roster has seemed in question.If this home run meant a bit more to him, it showed: He looked toward the dugout, slammed his bat to the dirt and pumped his fist on the way to first base.“Definitely a special moment there,” Peraza said through interpreter Marlon Abreu.

“Like I said, I’m really enjoying being part of this team and finding a way just to stay ready.The opportunities, you want to be ready for when they come.”There have not been a ton of opportunities for Peraza, who also has not run with the ones he has been given.His 1-for-3 day bumped his average to .205 and OPS to .657, typically playing third base against lefties while Oswaldo Cabrera has gotten the reps against righties.“He obviously hasn’t played a ton, but I feel like his at-bats have really improved from the start of the season,” manager Aaron Boone said.When LeMahieu returns, the Yankees could create roster room by DFA’ing Peraza or Pablo Reyes or optioning Jorbit Vivas.Perhaps Peraza can build upon an encouraging swing — but doing so is difficult because the Yankees are expected to see a slew of righty starters in the next week.“Definitely some difficul...