Kyle

Higashioka

The 34-year-old backstop got the scoring started in the ballgame with a 386-foot (107.2 mph EV) two-run blast off of Nationals’ southpaw DJ Herz in the second inning. He then singled and scored on an RBI knock by Jurickson Profar in the fourth. Higashioka then capped off the afternoon with a 390-foot (104.2 mph EV) grand slam off of Tanner Rainey in the eighth that made it 8-0 put the game out of reach. He’s now slashing .207/.240/.522 with eight homers and 20 RBI on the season.

Higashioka tagged right-hander Jakob Junis for his 413-foot (102.4 mph EV) two-run blast in the seventh inning that extended the Padres’ lead to 6-0. That would be his lone hit in three at-bats on the night. For the season, the 34-year-old backstop is now hitting .173/.212/.444 with six homers and 12 RBI.

It’s Higashioka’s first ever walkoff homer. He’s been even Higgier than usual this season in collecting five homers, one walk, five singles and seven RBI through 65 plate appearances as Luis Campusano’s backup.

Campusano went 2-for-7 in the first two games of the series against Philadelphia, with both hits coming Friday. The 25-year-old backstop will take a seat with Kyle Higashioka starting behind the plate and hitting ninth.

No word yet on the financial terms of the agreement. The 33-year-old backstop earned $1.4625 million in his final season with the Yankees in 2023 and was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.3 million via arbitration. Higashioka is expected to function as the primary backup behind Luis Campusano for the Padres in 2024.

Higashioka is certainly the ancillary component of the mega-blockbuster, but he’ll fill San Diego’s backup catcher void heading into next season.

Finally. The deal is happening. The Yankees are pushing all of their metaphorical chips to the center of the table for 2024, while the Padres attempt to rebuild virtually their entire pitching staff. Soto heads to New York in one of the biggest offseason blockbusters in baseball history. The 25-year-old generational slugger should benefit tremendously with the move to Yankee Stadium’s high-octane offensive environment, and could easily eclipse the 40-homer threshold for the first time in his career next season, making him a certifiable first-round selection next spring in all fantasy drafts.

Grisham makes less sense for the Yankees with Alex Verdugo in New York — they’d surely prefer a right-handed hitter as their backup center fielder — so perhaps he’ll be spun elsewhere. SNY’s Andy Martino says the return will be pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance on every game, the Yankees are trotting out their usual starting lineup for Thursday’s day game. That includes Higashioka starting for Ben Rortvedt behind the plate with lefty Patrick Corbin on the hill for Washington. Higashioka is hitting just .228/.267/.386 in 79 starts on the season.

Trevino said the wrist has been a problem for him since the spring. Since he’s not coming back, the Yankees could look for outside help behind the plate. Still, they probably have bigger priorities. Ben Rortvedt, a left-handed hitter likely to start primarily versus righties, will likely be adequate while paired with Kyle Higashioka.