Former Dodgers top prospect Jorbit Vivas is getting jerked around by the Yankees

The wait continues for former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Jorbit Vivas to make his Major League debut.

For the second time in as many seasons, Vivas has been called up by the New York Yankees, only to be sent back down to Triple-A without getting a single big league at-bat. His most recent call-up came earlier this week, when Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham went on the paternity list. Vivas remained on New York's 26-man roster for all three games of the club's series against the Cleveland Guardians but failed to make it into a game before being optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Grisham was reinstated.

A similar situation occurred last season, when the Yankees recalled Vivas for all of three days in July before sending him back down without getting him into a game.

Former Dodgers top prospect Jorbit Vivas is getting jerked around by the Yankees

The Dodgers signed Vivas in 2017 as a 16-year-old prospect out of Venezuela. They traded him to the Yankees, along with left-handed pitcher Victor González, during the 2023-24 offseason in exchange for shortstop prospect Trey Sweeney. They proceeded to flip Sweeney to the Detroit Tigers at last year's trade deadline as part of the Jack Flaherty deal.

Vivas struggled last season at Triple-A, hitting just .225 after getting hit by a pitch during spring training that broke the orbital bone around his left eye. Over the course of his minor league career, though, Vivas has a batting average of .273 with 122 doubles, 20 triples, 50 home runs and 323 RBI. He also has stolen 86 bases. But this year, he's been sensational through 20 games, batting .329 with an .898 OPS in 21 games.

Poor Vivas has nearly 600 minor league games under his belt dating back to 2018, and the Yankees have now dangled the prospect of making his MLB debut in front of him twice, only to yank it away. It's beyond unfair to Vivas, who has certainly earned a shot in the big leagues. Besides, he can't possibly be any worse than the Yankees' other middle infield options in Jazz Chisholm Jr. (.165) or shortstop Anthony Volpe (.198) right now in terms of making contact.

Hopefully, the next time the Yankees call Vivas up, they will do right by him and actually let him appear in a game. Maybe as a defensive replacement? Pinch runner? Something.

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