The New York Yankees are getting some much-needed infield help back after the All-Star Break. The team announced on Friday that they would be activating newly-acquired J.D. Davis off of the 10-day injured list before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Davis was initially placed on the injured list on July 12 (retroactive to July 9) due to a stomach flu. Before heading to the IL, Davis had appeared in five games for the Yankees after being acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics on June 23.

In Davis' five games with the Yankees, he started three of them at first base, one at designated hitter, and pinch hit in the other. Davis also has experience at third base and left field. With rookie sensation Ben Rice playing so well for the Yankees at first base, it may make more sense for the Yankees to work Davis in at third base or left field for the struggling DJ LeMahieu or Alex Verdugo.

J.D. Davis returning for Yankees

New York Yankees first baseman J.D. Davis (38) hits a RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre.
© Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees initially traded for Davis to add some much-needed infield depth after starting first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm after colliding with Boston Red Sox pitcher Brennan Bernardino on June 16. Rizzo is expected to miss up to eight weeks.

Albeit it is a small sample size, Davis has struggled in his young Yankees career. He has recorded just one hit across 13 plate appearances in his five games with New York. That one hit was a big one though, an RBI double in a big 16-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on June 28.

Davis' best season came in 2019 with the New York Mets. Davis slugged 22 home runs with a .307/.369/.527 line. The Yankees are hoping that a return to the Big Apple could re-ignite some of the potential at the plate that Davis showed with the Mets that season.

Even if he isn't able to approach those numbers, Davis is still a versatile, veteran piece who can fill in at positions where the Yankees have a clear need: first base, third base, and left field.

The Yankees are currently just one game behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East and solidly in postseason position, but their lead for the first Wild Card spot is slowly getting smaller. The Minnesota Twins are 3 games back and the Red Sox are 3.5 games back. They'll need all the help they can get as the season winds down, and Davis could end up being a key contributor in the Bronx.