|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 17:22:10 GMT -5
DJ LeMahieu Diagnosed With Fracture In Foot By Steve Adams | March 30, 2024 at 4:11pm CDT
Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu opened the season on the injured list with what the team termed a foot contusion after he fouled a ball into himself late in camp. The team said yesterday he’d been slated for a second MRI because the swelling had taken so long to go down, and it appears this new round of imaging revealed a more notable injury. Manager Aaron Boone told the Yankees beat today that the new round of imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture (X link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks but is now clearly facing a lengthier absence than originally anticipated.
The Yankees made a late-spring trade to acquire utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins, sending catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Rays and outfield prospect John Cruz to the Marlins in a three-team swap. Berti’s presence on the roster will be all the more important now. The Yankees didn’t provide a timeline beyond that two-week reevaluation, but at the very least LeMahieu will be sidelined into late April — although an absence extending beyond that seems likely.
LeMahieu, 35, is in the fourth season of a six-year, $90MM contract. He came to spring training hoping to rebound from a down year at the plate, by his standards (.243/.327/.390, 101 wRC+), but he struggled in 29 spring plate appearances and will now face an prolonged absence to begin the year.
With LeMahieu and prospect Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) both on the injured list for what’s likely to be a notable period, the Yankees will use Berti and fellow utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner early in the season. Cabrera has started each of the team’s first two games and gotten out to a hot start, going 6-for-9 with a home run and a double.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 18:53:05 GMT -5
Yankees To Select Tanner Tully By Steve Adams | March 30, 2024 at 5:23pm CDT
The Yankees are set to option right-hander Clayton Beeter and select the contract of left-hander Tanner Tully, manager Aaron Boone announced before today’s game (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move, but the Yankees have not yet announced what that’ll be.
Tully, 29, has just six major league innings under his belt — all coming with the 2022 Guardians. He allowed four runs on eight hits and six walks in that short sample of work. Cleveland selected Tully in the 26th round back in 2016, and he spent the next seven seasons in their system, working primarily as a starting pitcher in the minors. Following that cup of coffee in the majors in ’22, he was removed from the 40-man roster and became a free agent, ultimately signing a minor league deal with the Yankees.
It proved to be a brief stint with the Yankees, as Tully made 19 starts in Triple-A before being granted his release to sign with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. He made 11 starts for the Dinos in the final couple months of the season, tossing 64 2/3 frames of 2.92 ERA ball with a 17.7% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 59.6% ground-ball rate. The Yankees brought Tully back on a minor league deal over the winter, and he’ll now make his first appearance on the big league roster.
The Yankees burned through five relievers yesterday after Carlos Rodon lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the year. They also needed four innings from the ’pen following a five-inning Opening Day outing by Nestor Cortes. Tully will provide a multi-inning option to give them some length in the event of a short start from Marcus Stroman or should the game get out of hand one way or another. In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Tully has a 5.06 ERA with an 18.7% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. He pitched six innings for the Yankees this spring and yielded one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 18:53:33 GMT -5
Yankees Designate Nick Ramirez For Assignment By Steve Adams | March 30, 2024 at 5:55pm CDT
The Yankees have designated lefty Nick Ramirez for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to fellow lefty Tanner Tully, whose contract is being selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager Aaron Boone announced not long ago that Tully would be selected but didn’t divulge a corresponding move.
It’s a somewhat surprising DFA, given Ramirez’s solid performance in 2023 and strong spring showing. The 34-year-old logged 40 2/3 innings out of Boone’s bullpen last year and recorded a 2.66 ERA. His 16.3% strikeout rate was well shy of the league average, but Ramirez’s 5.2% walk rate was outstanding and his 47.4% grounder rate was sharp as well. This spring, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with nine strikeouts and a huge 62% ground-ball rate.
Ramirez didn’t make the Opening Day roster with the Yankees, however, and it seems that for the time being anyhow, they prefer to turn to Tully to add some length in the bullpen rather than the more straightforward move to recall Ramirez. In doing so, they’ll now have a week to trade Ramirez, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’s been outrighted previously in his career, so he’d be able to reject an outright assignment even if he clears waivers.
In parts of four big league seasons between the Tigers, Padres and Yankees, Ramirez has tallied 151 1/3 innings with a 4.04 ERA and fielding-independent marks that more or less support that level of performance (4.15 FIP, 4.33 SIERA). He doesn’t throw hard, sitting 90-91 with his fastball, and his 19.3% strikeout rate is below par. But Ramirez has solid control and ground-ball tendencies, just as he showed in 2023, and has virtually no platoon split. Ramirez is in his final minor league option year and has four years of club control remaining.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:30:43 GMT -5
Yanks feeling the Soto Effect: 'We're not going to give up' Never-say-die club improves to 3-0 behind new star's clutch first homer 2:21 AM ADT Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch @bryanhoch
HOUSTON – As the Yankees explain why the first 27 innings of this season look so different, they continue to arrive at one conclusion: the Juan Soto effect. Most of their at-bats have felt like a heavyweight battle, drawing a direct through-line to the approach of their new star outfielder.
Soto has pretty much done it all through his first series with the club, spraying line drives across the outfield while making sliding grabs and strong throws. Now he has cleared the fences, too, belting his first Yankees homer in a 5-3 win over the Astros on Saturday evening at Minute Maid Park.
“It’s been pretty nice; it’s been pretty fun,” Soto said. “To win a game is always fun. It’s tough to win a game in the big leagues, and winning the way we’ve been winning these games, it’s incredible.”
As the Yankees rallied for their third come-from-behind win in as many games, Soto delivered the go-ahead blow in the seventh inning, lashing a line-drive homer to the left-field Crawford Boxes facing reliever Bryan Abreu.
Soto’s Statcast-projected 349-foot drive came three batters after Oswaldo Cabrera continued to swing a hot bat, lifting a game-tying two-run homer just over the right-field wall.
Cabrera, who is filling in at third base for the injured DJ LeMahieu, said Soto’s impact has been immeasurable. Consider that the Yankees have walked 19 times through three games -- that patient, grind-it-out quality seems to be lifted directly from Soto’s DNA.
“He’s incredible,” Cabrera said. “He’s not just a good baseball player. Outside of the field, he’s an amazing person, too. Everybody loves that guy, inside and outside of the field. When we are in the cage, I’m like a kid just watching a hero.”
Said manager Aaron Boone of Soto: “He embodies what we want to be. It’s a fight every time he walks into the batter’s box.”
Anthony Volpe added an eighth-inning homer as the Yankees improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2003 and notched their sixth consecutive win at Minute Maid Park, dating to last September.
“It shows that we’re not going to flinch from anybody,” Volpe said. “We know this is a really good team that we’re playing against, but we trust our guys. We’re not going to give up.”
The Houston blast marked a minor milestone for Soto, who has stated his hope to complete his set of homers in every current Major League park. He’d never hit a regular-season blast in Houston, though he did homer here twice for the Nationals during the 2019 World Series.
“If you want to put it in the regular season, now it’s checked,” said Soto, who is 25-for-30 and can now turn his attention to road games later in the year against the Guardians, Angels, White Sox, Rangers and Mariners.
Soto, who also singled and scored a run in the third inning, has reached base in nine of his first 15 plate appearances as a Yankee and in a career-high 36 consecutive games since Aug. 26, 2023. It is the longest active streak in the Majors.
“He’s going to be one of those guys that I’m talking about when I’m a granddad, that I got to play with him,” said Yankees starter Marcus Stroman. “He’s a generational talent.”
Soto’s continued excellence overshadowed a sharp effort from Stroman, who tossed six innings in his Yankees debut. Get the latest from the Yankees
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Yankees and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
The right-hander was charged with three unearned runs, resulting from throwing errors committed by Cabrera, Volpe and Stroman -- all of whom would atone in various ways.
“My biggest thing out there was trying to keep it at three runs because with this lineup, anybody can strike at any time,” said Stroman, who scattered four hits and walked two in a 101-pitch effort (58 strikes), striking out four.
While the Yankees have worked over starters to take advantage of a leaky Astros bullpen in this series, their own relief crew has been spotless. Ian Hamilton fired two innings, striking out a pair, and Clay Holmes worked a clean ninth for his second save.
New York’s bullpen has now tossed 11 2/3 scoreless innings to open the season -- one of the few things, perhaps, that it won’t credit to Soto’s presence. Though, then again …
“Look, it’s three games in a long, long season,” Boone said. “But I love our mindset, I love our compete, I love our hunger. If we can maintain that, we can be the team we want to be. But we’ve got a long way to go.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:31:47 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Beeter sent to Minors after MLB debut March 30th, 2024
MLB.com
0:23
0:30
LATEST NEWS
March 30: RHP Clayton Beeter optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; the contract of RHP Tanner Tully purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; designated LHP Nick Ramirez for assignment Beeter, the Yankees’ No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, made his Major League debut in Friday’s 7-1 win over the Astros, throwing just three pitches in a scoreless ninth inning.
“Him being a starting pitcher with some of his [injury] history, it’s just not wanting to put him in a bad situation if something happened where we had to do something early and we’re really thin [in the bullpen],” manager Aaron Boone said. “The reality is, he felt good [Saturday]. We could probably throw him out there, but when you’re not built for that, it concerns me.”
Boone said he believes Beeter “is going to help us a lot this year.”
The 29-year-old Tully posted a 1.50 ERA across six Grapefruit League innings. He last pitched in the Majors in 2022. Ramirez, 34, posted a 2.66 ERA over 32 appearances last season with New York, finishing 12 games.
March 30: 2B Gleyber Torres (HBP), OF Juan Soto (ankle) back in lineup The Yankees had a couple of injury scares to significant stars during Friday’s 7-1 win over the Astros. Torres was hit on the right thumb by a Tayler Scott fastball in the top of the seventh inning. Torres exited in the home half of the inning, and the team said that X-rays were clean.
“I wasn’t able to throw the ball very well, so I didn’t want to mess around with that,” Torres said. “I just tried to make the best decision for the team.”
Soto twisted his ankle while running the bases in the third inning. He was briefly attended to on the field before the next half-inning, but he remained in the game.
Both were back in the starting lineup against the Astros on Saturday.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:09:37 GMT -5
Yankees Acquire Jake Cousins
By Leo Morgenstern | March 31, 2024 at 7:04pm CDT
The Yankees have acquired right-hander Jake Cousins from the White Sox, both teams announced. The White Sox will receive cash considerations in return. Cousins signed a minor league contract with Chicago in December and was not on the 40-man roster.
Cousins, 29, is coming off an impressive spring in which he struck out 11 and walked just two in seven innings of work. He gave up a lone earned run on five hits, although he also allowed three unearned runs. Despite his strong spring stats, the righty was unable to crack the White Sox Opening Day roster.
Drafted by the Nationals in 2017 and released less than two years later, Cousins rebuilt his value with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League over the first few months of the 2019 season. He pitched well enough to catch the Brewers’ attention that summer, and two years later, he made his MLB debut with Milwaukee. In 30 appearances during the 2021 season, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 3.60 SIERA, with seven holds and an impressive 35.2% strikeout rate.
Cousins got off to a bumpy start in 2022 before suffering a UCL injury. However, he opted not to have Tommy John surgery and returned a few months later. He looked quite sharp upon his return, putting up a 2.66 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 22 minor league appearances and tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings at the MLB level. Unfortunately, he struggled to recapture that success in 2023. Cousins gave up 15 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings with the Brewers between the minors and majors. He was DFA’d at the trade deadline and claimed by the Astros. He did not make it back to the majors with Houston and gave up another 10 earned runs in 15 innings at Triple-A.
Presumably, Cousins will report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Given his previous major league experience and brief run of success with the Brewers, he could certainly see time in the Yankees bullpen this year. He has one option year remaining.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:17:42 GMT -5
Soto the alpha 'dawg' again as Yankees stay perfect Red-hot star hits go-ahead single in ninth for New York, 4-0 for first time since 2003 March 31st, 2024 Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch @bryanhoch
0:21
0:30
HOUSTON -- The Yankees have probably learned a hundred things about Juan Soto since the first day he tried on their uniform, but one frequently discussed topic is the intensity with which he treats every at-bat. Each trip to home plate is a battle, and as his teammates have marveled, he seldom gives away a single pitch.
With the game on the line Sunday afternoon, there was no one the Yankees would have rather had in the batter’s box. Soto delivered again, lashing a go-ahead ninth-inning single off Josh Hader that helped power a 4-3 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park, securing a sweep of the four-game series.
Soto became the first Yankees player in the expansion era (since 1961) to post a go-ahead RBI in three of his first four games with the club.
“You feel good when he’s up there,” said Alex Verdugo, who sealed the victory with a sliding catch in the home half of the ninth. “He’s really special. It doesn’t matter; lefty, righty, the way he controls the zone, knows himself and doesn’t let the moment get too big.
“ … He’s a dawg. Just put it like that, he’s a dawg, bro. I can’t say [anything] else. We’re dawgs out here.”
Here’s something to bark about: The Yankees have opened a season 4-0 for the 12th time in franchise history, the first time they’ve done so since 2003. New York has also won seven consecutive games at Minute Maid Park, dating to last September.
“It’s eerily similar to how we were in 2022, when we started off good,” said Clarke Schmidt, who permitted three runs over 5 1/3 innings in his season debut. “We just felt like we weren’t going to lose at the end of games. We were always going to come back, always in it.
“… You don’t really play playoff games in March, but this was a big-time series and a big-time sweep.”
Soto was a central figure throughout, contributing his trademark blend of patience and power, with better-than-advertised defense. Soto has batted .529 (9-for-17) through his first four games with the Bombers, with one double, one home run, four RBIs and three walks.
“That’s the kind of start I wanted,” Soto said. “I grinded really hard this offseason and in Spring Training, too, to be successful at the beginning of the season. Thank God it’s happening my way.”
Soto had already notched a pair of singles when he stepped in against the fireballing Hader in the ninth, a matchup between relocated ex-Padres stars. As Verdugo noted, these are the moments that Soto seems to crave.
“That’s what we play for,” Soto said. “We all know there’s going to be times when you fail, and sometimes we have success, but I always want to be up there. I don’t mind to be up there and get all the boos or all the claps. I’m always ready for it.” Get the latest from the Yankees
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Yankees and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
Soto worked the count full before Gleyber Torres -- who had singled and stolen second -- broke for third base, charging home as Soto flared a two-seamer cleanly into left field.
“I think it just put a bow on the series, of what we saw in his at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Now you’re up against one of the game’s great closers. Just a great piece of hitting; a killer at-bat to finish off the series.”
Said Hader: “Tip your cap. You can always say you can throw another pitch, but I executed what I wanted to do, and a good hitter is going to do that sometimes."
Soto and the Yanks had to sweat it out in the ninth inning, and it felt like a game they would have lost last season. It took a couple of dazzling defensive plays to keep the Astros down, coming after the first two batters reached against closer Clay Holmes.
Plugged into the lineup for his Yankees debut about 90 minutes before game time due to Anthony Volpe’s illness, Jon Berti made a diving stop at third base to rob Jose Altuve of a hit, scrambling to tag the bag and force out Jeremy Peña.
“Luckily, third base is kind of a reaction,” Berti said. “Knowing what kind of hitter he is, I was able to get a good jump on it and make a good play.”
Yordan Alvarez followed with a loud, deep flyout to center field for the second out, and Holmes induced Kyle Tucker to send a soft flare into left field.
Verdugo broke in and charged for it, securing the ball with a sliding grab -- roaring wildly after a play that, according to Statcast, had only a 40 percent catch probability.
“I call it excitement,” Verdugo said. “I’m out here with my guys; I’ve got Judge and Soto out there. We just get amped up and we love it. That’s what we’re rolling with. We’re dawgs over here.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 16:46:57 GMT -5
Yankees To Select Jake Cousins
By Darragh McDonald | April 1, 2024 at 3:00pm CDT
The Yankees are planning to add right-hander Jake Cousins to their roster, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports. The righty was just acquired from the White Sox yesterday. He’s not yet on the 40-man and will require a corresponding move.
Cousins, 29, is coming off a challenging season. He was only able to toss 9 1/3 innings in the majors, allowing five earned runs, while getting frequently optioned to the minors and also landing on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation at one point. He went from the Brewers to the Astros via a waiver claim and had a 6.35 earned run average in the minors between those two clubs.
But he had thrown 43 1/3 innings for the Brewers over 2021 and 2022 with a much nicer ERA of 2.70. His 14.7% walk rate was on the high side but he was able to strike out 35.3% of opponents. His poor performance in 2023 led to him being outrighted by the Astros and then settling for a minor league deal with the White Sox. He appeared to be in good form in the spring, tossing seven innings with just one earned run allowed, striking out 11 opponents while walking just two.
The Yanks seem to think the strong results from the Cactus League are a good sign that Cousins can put last year behind him and get back on track. They sent cash to the Sox yesterday to get Cousins in their system and will now give him a roster spot as well. Cousins still has an option, so he can provide the bullpen with a fresh arm and also give the club the flexibility to send him to the minors at some point later in the year. He has just under two years of service time and can therefore be retained for future seasons if he sticks on the 40-man through the year.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 16:47:20 GMT -5
Yankees Designate Tanner Tully For Assignment
By Darragh McDonald | April 1, 2024 at 4:04pm CDT
The Yankees announced that left-hander Tanner Tully has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to right-hander Jake Cousins, who was previously reported to be joining the team.
More to come.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2024 5:29:02 GMT -5
Gil, Volpe power Yanks to first 5-0 start since 1992 'We know what we're capable of,' says young shortstop after first career 4-hit game 3:44 AM ADT
Zach Buchanan
0:20
0:51
PHOENIX -- Twenty-four hours or nearly two years, nothing makes the heart grow fonder quite like time away from the game. For Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, the baseball-less void lasted just one day, although it was miserable and stomach-turning. Starting pitcher Luis Gil's absence was much longer -- 690 days, to be exact.
Both came back with a vengeance Monday in a 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. One day after being sidelined with a "really bad" stomach bug, Volpe set a career best with four hits, doubling twice and driving in a run. Meanwhile, making his first start in nearly two years due to Tommy John surgery, Gil held Arizona to one run over 4 2/3 innings, flashing a triple-digit fastball and striking out six.
“It just gets on guys,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said of Gil’s fastball, which averaged 97.7 mph. “He’s not afraid to throw it in any count to any part of the zone to anybody. As a batter, when you’re facing a guy like that, it adds a little extra pressure to be on it. His fastball is one of the best in the game, the best on the team.”
Wells caught Gil for the first time Monday, but the Yankees' backstop came up with Volpe and could see a star turn coming from the shortstop and former top prospect. After posting a .666 OPS in his rookie season, Volpe entered the offseason set on fixing his swing. He felt he was hanging back on his back foot too much. He sought to land more balanced, and Wells thinks things clicked for Volpe right before Spring Training started.
Now in a better position to hit and able to cover the whole plate, nothing is getting by the young shortstop. In his first three games, Volpe went 4-for-10 with a homer and more walks (four) than strikeouts (three). Playing Monday at less than 100 percent -- “one more good night” of sleep and he might be able to recharge fully, he said -- Volpe roped two doubles among his four hits, reaching base each time he stepped to the plate.
“I just think he’s a way better hitter,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “Results can be fleeting, especially this time of the year, but the fact that he is getting results and the quality of each at-bat, it’s been impressive.” Get the latest from the Yankees
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Yankees and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
Just as impressive was Gil, and the Yankees had been waiting much longer to see him dominate like he did against Arizona.
The 25-year-old last started on May 12, 2022, his only big league start that year. Elbow surgery kept him out until September of last season, although he appeared only in the Minor Leagues. He might have remained there to start this year, too, if not for Gerrit Cole's elbow injury late in Spring Training. But with Cole down and an impressive Grapefruit League campaign from Gil, the righty earned the fifth starter job. Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
He might have earned the win, too, if not for his recent injury history. Though Gil held his fastball velocity late into his start, Boone pulled the righty at 84 pitches, one out shy of five innings. Boone said Gil’s long-term health takes priority over a one-night accomplishment no matter how long-awaited it was, though the manager did have a message for the young starter in the dugout: “I’m sorry.”
Gil said an apology was not required.
“I want to be pitching. Let’s be clear about that: I want to be pitching out there,” Gil said through a team interpreter. “But at the same time, I understand there’s a set amount of pitches that I’m under. I definitely didn’t feel bad about coming out of the game at that time.”
With the win, the Yankees have started 5-0 for just the fourth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1992. New York also opened with five straight wins in 1988 and 1933.
Given that the Yanks missed the playoffs in each of those three seasons, such a fast start is hardly predictive. No parade routes are being mapped yet, but the vibes in the Yankees clubhouse are undeniably good.
“We know what we’re capable of,” said Volpe. “It’s definitely nice when you feel like you’re putting in all the work. We’re facing really good teams, so we see how we stack up and we know we can compete against anybody.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2024 5:30:20 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: LeMahieu progressing; Cousins added April 1st, 2024
MLB.com LATEST NEWS
April 1: Contract of RHP Jake Cousins purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; LHP Tanner Tully designated for assignment Cousins joins the club after the Yankees acquired him from the White Sox on March 31 in exchange for cash considerations. The 29-year-old appeared in only nine Major League games last year for the Brewers with disappointing results (4.82 ERA in 9 1/3 innings), but had been effective in limited stints over the previous two seasons. Tully had been promoted from Triple-A just two days earlier, bringing him back to the big leagues for the first time since 2022 with Cleveland. He did not pitch for New York before being designated.
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot) Expected return: Possibly late April LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following another MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive.
Manager Aaron Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12. While an April return is possible, LeMahieu’s progress will be determined by his pain tolerance. LeMahieu was able to hit in the batting cages on March 29.
LeMahieu does seem to be moving in the right direction. “It does seem like he’s doing a lot better over the last five days or so,” Boone said on April 1.
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 1)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Possibly April 12 Kahnle will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on April 9, but manager Aaron Boone said on March 29 that he does not expect to see Kahnle activated during the Yankees’ first homestand, which runs through April 10. Kahnle’s buildup moved a bit more slowly than expected this spring, a phenomenon that has continued with Boone saying on April 1 that the reliever “just didn’t bounce back after his last live outing.” Kahnle has not been shut down from throwing, however.
Right shoulder inflammation ended Kahnle’s 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program. Kahnle said that he pushed his work back from Thanksgiving to Dec. 12 due to lingering discomfort. (Last updated: April 1)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2024 5:24:59 GMT -5
Yankees' bats scuffle in first loss of 2024 Judge, Stanton, Rizzo off to sluggish starts despite New York's 5-1 record 2:38 AM ADT
Zach Buchanan
0:34
0:58
PHOENIX -- Starting 6-0 may have been too much to ask, especially with Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen on the mound.
No offense avoids a down night for long, but cracks have been showing in the Yankees lineup well before New York squared up against one of the best starters in the National League.
Even as the Yankees blazed to their best start in more than 30 years, even as they tallied 26 runs in five consecutive wins to begin the 2024 season, only a third of the lineup seemed to be doing much. The trio of Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe, and Oswaldo Cabrera may have hit the ground running, but everyone else wasn’t hitting much of anything.
That continued Tuesday night at Chase Field, as Gallen silenced the Yankees en route to a 7-0 loss, New York's first setback after a 5-0 start. The Yankees managed just three hits and struck out eight times, six of them coming in Gallen's six innings of work. Only one Yankees baserunner reached second, with Volpe and Cabrera lacing back-to-back two-out hits in the second. But Jose Trevino went down swinging to end New York’s only scoring threat of the game.
“He was just hitting spots,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said of Gallen. “Especially with two strikes, he wasn’t really missing over the plate at all.”
After going 0-for-4 on Tuesday, Rizzo is one of a number of important lineup fixtures who have yet to get going for the Yankees. The veteran is hitting .182, while Giancarlo Stanton struck out three times, giving him 11 punchouts in just 21 plate appearances. Star slugger Aaron Judge, who is still finding his rhythm after missing time in Spring Training with an abdominal issue, went 0-for-3 with a walk and is now batting .125 in six games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone, however, does not seem overly concerned. Enjoying a Stanton feast inevitably requires living through his famines. “The physical tools are still there to get it rolling,” Boone said. “It’s just, sometimes you have to live with a little bit of ups and downs with him as he’s finding it.” As for Judge, Boone said before the game that a breakout for the star outfielder “is just a matter of time.”
Iffy calls don’t help, though. The Yankees struck out looking five times Tuesday, with Judge going down on strikes to end the second inning on a pitch that was clearly several inches below his already massive strike zone. Judge remained at the plate to discuss it at length with home plate umpire Scott Barry. Volpe was also rung up on a questionable call in the fifth.
“Two off the top of my head were … really pitcher-friendly calls,” Rizzo said, pausing mid-sentence to choose his words carefully. “It’s part of the game.”
The Yankees now have 54 strikeouts through six games and are striking out at a 23 percent clip. That’s not particularly alarming -- entering Tuesday, that would have been a league-average strikeout rate -- but it’s also true that the hot starts from Soto and Volpe, plus the club's penchant for pulling off comebacks in the opening series against the Astros, have papered over some weaker aspects of the lineup so far. Get the latest from the Yankees
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Yankees and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
That, plus a matchup against the third-place finisher for the National League Cy Young Award, gave Yankees starter Nestor Cortes little margin for error. For the second time in as many starts, he used it up early, allowing three runs on five hits in the first inning, a frame that ended only thanks to a baserunning gaffe by Arizona rookie Jorge Barrosa. Cortes had little trouble over the next four, but a three-run cushion is a lot to afford an opposing pitcher like Gallen.
“I can’t put my team in a hole that early, that often,” Cortes said. “We’re going to keep working and keep going back at it. Tomorrow’s another day.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2024 5:26:38 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Peraza resumes hitting; Domínguez ramps up April 2nd, 2024
MLB.com LATEST NEWS
April 2: LHP Nick Ramirez traded to the Dodgers for cash considerations Ramirez was designated for assignment on March 30 to make room for the callup of left-handed reliever Tanner Tully, who then was also designated for assignment two days later. The 34-year-old Ramirez appeared in 32 games for the Yankees last year and pitched to a 2.66 ERA, but did not make the club out of Spring Training this year.
10-day/15-day IL
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot) Expected return: Possibly late April LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following another MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive.
Manager Aaron Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12. While an April return is possible, LeMahieu’s progress will be determined by his pain tolerance. LeMahieu was able to hit in the batting cages on March 29 and hit on the field for the first time April 2.
The more important progress will come defensively. LeMahieu took ground balls for the first time April 1, although they were hit directly to him. It’s a step in the right direction. “It does seem like he’s doing a lot better over the last five days or so,” Boone said on April 1.
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 2)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Possibly April 12 Kahnle will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on April 9, but manager Aaron Boone said on March 29 that he does not expect to see Kahnle activated during the Yankees’ first homestand, which runs through April 10. Kahnle’s buildup moved a bit more slowly than expected this spring, a phenomenon that has continued with Boone saying on April 1 that the reliever “just didn’t bounce back after his last live outing.” Kahnle has not been shut down from throwing, however, and has been playing catch recently.
Right shoulder inflammation ended Kahnle’s 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program. Kahnle said that he pushed his work back from Thanksgiving to Dec. 12 due to lingering discomfort. (Last updated: April 2)
INF Oswald Peraza (right sub-scapular strain) Expected return: April/May The Yankees placed Peraza on the injured list on Opening Day, retroactive to March 25. Peraza has resumed hitting and is expected to resume throwing on April 3, which could pose a bigger test. Peraza had initially been advised to take three to four weeks off without tossing.
Peraza underwent an MRI on March 7 and a dye-contrast arthrogram on March 8, which showed a strain in the 23-year-old’s shoulder. His shoulder issues began on Feb. 25, though he returned to the lineup on March 5, playing two games before being shut down again. (Last updated: April 2)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2024 5:10:38 GMT -5
Back in session: Judge blasts 1st HR of 2024 in wild win April 3rd, 2024
Zach Buchanan
PHOENIX -- In almost every circumstance, it would have been a no-brainer to intentionally walk Aaron Judge.
It was the top of the 11th and the Yankees had just taken a one-run lead. Judge stepped to the plate with one out and a runner on second. But instead of issuing him a free pass to first in order to set up a potential double play, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo decided to let one of the most fearsome batters in the game take a whack.
Lovullo immediately regretted it.
Judge hit the second pitch he saw from Arizona reliever Scott McGough, a center-cut 93 mph fastball, sending it off the bat at 108.8 mph and into the right-center-field gap for a lead-extending double. It proved to be the decisive RBI, with the Yankees surviving a bottom-of-the-inning rally to claim a 6-5 victory over the D-backs on Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field that will send New York back to the Bronx with a 6-1 record.
After the game, Lovullo said he was “kicking myself” for pitching to Judge. But don’t count the 6-foot-7 slugger among the chorus of critics, and not just because it worked out in Judge’s favor. Judge entered the game with just a .214 on-base percentage and a .167 slugging percentage. He’d have pitched to him, too.
“I feel like I’m hitting .100 right now, so I think it was the right choice,” Judge said. “I haven’t been swinging the way I want to. It worked out this time for us.”
Well, he hadn’t been swinging it that way before Wednesday’s game. It certainly wasn’t true after.
Judge struck out his first time up against Arizona starter Merrill Kelly, but the next time up, Judge walloped the second pitch of the at-bat for a go-ahead two-run homer. It was Judge’s first bomb of the year.
The pitch Judge hit out was a sinker that did eventually sink -- only it was into the Chase Field pool in right-center.
“‘I told him I wanted him to go visit the pool at some point this road trip,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So I’m glad he checked that box.”
By homering in the club's seventh game, Judge avoided matching the longest homerless drought of his career to start a season. Basically, he was due. That’s been the opinion of Boone, who has suggested for several days that Judge was nearing a breakout.
Judge may not have been so bold to claim the same, but he also knows that six games is hardly anything worthy of panic.
“It’s early in the season and you can get caught up as a player looking at the scoreboard and seeing where your average is," Judge said. "You see guys up there hitting .600 and you get discouraged, but it's part of the season. You’re going to get 600 at-bats.”
The bangs from Judge’s gavel weren’t the only positive signs for a New York offense that, to this point, had been carried by three players: Juan Soto, Oswaldo Cabrera and Anthony Volpe. Gleyber Torres roped two leadoff singles to kickstart rallies. Anthony Rizzo had a pair of knocks. And no one had a bigger at-bat than outfielder Alex Verdugo.
Verdugo entered the game batting .143 before going 0-for-3 in his first three trips to the plate. He wasted little time correcting that in his fourth at-bat. Leading off the 10th inning, Verdugo unloaded on the first pitch he saw from Arizona postseason hero Kevin Ginkel, depositing it in the right-field seats for his first homer as a Yankee -- and then taking some time to admire it as he rounded the bases. Get the latest from the Yankees
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Yankees and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
That was the first blow of two eventful extra innings that included a go-ahead balk and the D-backs' decision to pitch to Judge. Boone wouldn't make that same mistake in the bottom half of the 11th.
The game ended in bizarre fashion, with Boone choosing to intentionally walk D-backs catcher Gabriel Moreno to load the bases with two outs and the Yanks leading by one. The move set up a matchup with McGough, who was forced to hit because the D-backs had lost the designated hitter when starting DH Ketel Marte was forced to play the field for injured shortstop Geraldo Perdomo in the top of the 11th.
With Arizona out of bench players, McGough struck out looking to end the game.
There’s a moral in there somewhere. Pitch to the opposing pitcher? Yes. Pitch to Aaron Judge? The odds are against you if you do.
“With Aaron,” Boone said, “it’s a matter of time.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2024 5:12:11 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Peraza resumes hitting; Domínguez ramps up April 2nd, 2024
MLB.com
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot) Expected return: Possibly late April LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following another MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive.
Manager Aaron Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12. While an April return is possible, LeMahieu’s progress will be determined by his pain tolerance. LeMahieu was able to hit in the batting cages on March 29 and hit on the field for the first time April 2.
The more important progress will come defensively. LeMahieu took ground balls for the first time April 1, although they were hit directly to him. It’s a step in the right direction. “It does seem like he’s doing a lot better over the last five days or so,” Boone said on April 1.
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 2)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Possibly April 12 Kahnle will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on April 9, but manager Aaron Boone said on March 29 that he does not expect to see Kahnle activated during the Yankees’ first homestand, which runs through April 10. Kahnle’s buildup moved a bit more slowly than expected this spring, a phenomenon that has continued with Boone saying on April 1 that the reliever “just didn’t bounce back after his last live outing.” Kahnle has not been shut down from throwing, however, and has been playing catch recently.
Right shoulder inflammation ended Kahnle’s 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program. Kahnle said that he pushed his work back from Thanksgiving to Dec. 12 due to lingering discomfort. (Last updated: April 2)
INF Oswald Peraza (right sub-scapular strain) Expected return: April/May The Yankees placed Peraza on the injured list on Opening Day, retroactive to March 25. Peraza has resumed hitting and is expected to resume throwing on April 3, which could pose a bigger test. Peraza had initially been advised to take three to four weeks off without tossing.
Peraza underwent an MRI on March 7 and a dye-contrast arthrogram on March 8, which showed a strain in the 23-year-old’s shoulder. His shoulder issues began on Feb. 25, though he returned to the lineup on March 5, playing two games before being shut down again. (Last updated: April 2
|
|