Don’t worry, Yankees fans, it’s not THAT Luis González. This Luis González is a 27-year-old outfielder who was released by the Giants back in September. He was the NL Rookie of the Month with the Giants back in May 2022, and appeared in 98 games at the big league level that year, hitting .254/.323/.360 with four home runs and 10 steals. He did not appear in the majors last season after undergoing back surgery in March and played in 31 minor-league games before being released. The Yankees have a crowded outfield, so he figures to serve as organizational depth.

Gonzalez missed the majority of the year after undergoing lower back surgery at the end of spring training and was removed from San Francisco’s 40-man roster back in mid-August.

The 27-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment last week, but he somewhat surprisingly passed through waivers unclaimed and will continue to function as outfield depth for the Giants at the Triple-A level.

The Giants needed to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the arrival of Wade Meckler on Monday and unfortunately that came at the cost of González. The 27-year-old underwent surgery at the end of spring training to repair a herniated disc in his lower back and has struggled in the minor leagues since his return. Still, he was a pretty productive big league player for the Giants in 2022 and may pique another club’s interest on waivers.