The 24-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment last week.
The Yankeesclaimed outfielder Eury Perez off waivers Monday. The speedy outfielder was designated for assignment last week when the Nationals claimed shortstop Pedro Florimon off the waivers.
Perez, who spent eight seasons in the Nationals system, combined to hit .310 with 14 doubles and two home runs in 67 games in Triple-A, High-A and Rookie leagues in 2014. He played in 22 major league games total, hitting .154/.154/.154 total in 13 plate appearances. He spent most of the time in majors as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.
New York designated LHP Josh Outman for assignment to make room for Perez. The Yankees had acquired the reliever in late August from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named or cash. This season, Outman collected a 2.86 ERA and 4.82 FIP in 28.1 innings, striking out 26 hitters and walking 16. The 30-year-old has held left-handed hitters to a .186 batting average and .537 OPS over his career.
The Dominican outfielder was ranked as the Nationals' No. 7 prospect by Baseball America after the 2012 season. Even though Perez has not shown much hitting ability in the majors, it is still too early to give up based on his .305/.360/.384 line over eight minor league seasons.
Also, some scouting reports praise his speed to be "top-of-the-scale." Perez has speed and athleticism - his bat, however, needs to show up in any big league opportunity he gets.
The team has lost outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury (hamstring), Carlos Beltran (elbow) and Martin Prado (appendectomy) to injuries, and they look to Perez's healthy body to fill in a spot.