Yankees prospect Thairo Estrada ready to move past gunshot injury
By Jose Romero
A gunshot wound changed everything for Yankees prospect Thairo Estrada in 2018.
Estrada, a 22-year-old infielder, was shot in the right hip during a robbery attempt in February in his native Venezuela. Now he’s trying to end the baseball year in a much better place, both physically and mentally.
Estrada recently spoke to La Vida Baseball about the dramatic impact being shot had on his life and his future in baseball.
“It was hard at first, because I’d never gone through anything like that before,” Estrada told La Vida Baseball in Spanish. “It was the hardest time in my life. But with the support of my family every day, we got past that page and can look toward the future.
“It’s not in my mind anymore. what happened. It’s in the past and I am just living in the present.”
Off to Arizona
For Estrada, the present is the autumn sunshine of Arizona, where he is getting regular work with the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League. He was batting .261 (18-for-69) in 16 games as of Nov. 6.
Top prospects from every major league team are participating in the Arizona Fall League.
“Everyone here is happy to be here [in the AFL] because we’re competing and we’re getting closer to the big leagues,” Estrada said. “It’s an amazing opportunity and you have to enjoy it.”
That Estrada is now 100 percent healthy is, in his words, a testament to his ability to overcome such trauma. But he dealt with more adversity in early 2018.
Estrada reported to Yankees’ spring training as the sixteenth-ranked prospect in their organization, according to MLB.com. But the gunshot wound kept him off the field early in the year. Other injuries limited him to eight games at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre and 18 games overall at two minor-league levels this season.
“This year was pretty tough at the start, but with the support of my family, my wife, it kept me focused,” Estrada said. “I just focused on getting better and getting back to the field.”
Pinstripe Confidence
Even with his physical struggles this year Estrada has remained highly thought of by the organization. The Yankees sent him back to the Arizona Fall League after he hit .342 in 20 games last autumn in the desert. His numbers at Double-A in 2017 earned him a spot on the Fall League’s Top Prospects team.
“I’m just trying to work hard every day to achieve my goals,” Estrada said. “I know I’m still far away from the majors. I can’t control the bosses’ decisions, like they say, but I can keep working every day.”
Desert Dogs hitting coach Charles Poe sees Estrada as a player with a high ceiling.
“He looks like a big leaguer to me. He carries himself like a big leaguer. He’s a very ‘handsy’ hitter and he uses his hands very well,” Poe said. “He just needs to get more games underneath him because of the injuries and all that stuff. All the talent is there, for sure.”
Motivated by friends success
Estrada hopes to play with former minor league teammates Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andújar in the Yankees infield one day.
“They’re tremendous ball players. I hope to be where they are right now,” Estrada said. “It would be great to see them again and if not we will always be buddies. We go back a ways.”
Growing up, countrymen Omar Vizquel and José Altuve were his favorites; Vizquel for his humility and willingness to uplift fellow Venezuelan players and Altuve for how dedicated he is and how hard he has worked to become a star.
The economic crisis and food shortages in his home country remain, and Estrada felt them when he was there. Becoming a ball player was a way out.
“It’s hard now, but it’s where we’re from,” he said. “To be here is a great opportunity, and I thank God for that. Being among the players here from Venezuela, you have to take advantage of that every day and reach your goals, so you can in the future help the people important to you and help people with what needs they have.”
Featured Image: Jennifer Stewart / Getty Image Sport