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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 5:24:37 GMT -5
Stroman ready for 'moment ... I'll remember forever'
April 4th, 2024
Zach Buchanan
0:13
0:56
This story was excerpted from the Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
PHOENIX -- Marcus Stroman grew up on Long Island, but he never found himself in the seats at Yankee Stadium on Opening Day. Nor, despite spending his first six seasons with the Blue Jays in the American League East, has Stroman pitched against the Yankees as they cracked open a new season in the Bronx.
So when the new Yankees starter takes the ball on Friday for New York’s home opener, he knows it will be something special.
“It’ll be a moment that I think I’ll remember forever,” Stroman said Wednesday.
At the same time, the right-hander works hard not to blow things out of proportion. There will not be a full slice of Yankee Stadium reserved as his rooting section. Instead there are just a few tickets set aside for a “very, very, very small circle” of family and friends.
Nor will Stroman coat this start -- for the team he grew up watching, in front of a hometown crowd, against Toronto, his original club -- in layers of added significance.
Over the years, he’s learned to be “very process-oriented.” When the game starts Friday, Stroman said, there will be only the hitter and the catcher.
“I’m going out there to compete. It doesn’t really matter what lineup or who I’m facing,” he said. “I just take the same mentality into each and every game.”
Stroman has a job to do, and if he can repeat his performance from his first start as a Yankee, it’ll be more than a job well done. During the 5-3 win against the Astros on Saturday, he pitched six innings and allowed three unearned runs on four hits in six innings, walking two and striking out four.
After signing the 32-year-old for two years and $37 million on Jan. 17, the Yankees will take that kind of outing every time. Especially so with ace Gerrit Cole on the shelf to start the year.
If Stroman has a calling card as a pitcher, it’s consistency. In 10 years in the Majors, he owns a 3.64 ERA and hasn’t posted an ERA over 4.00 since 2018. Ever since tearing his left ACL in March 2015, Stroman has understood the importance of managing the ups and downs of a long season.
“You can’t be someone who rides the highs and the lows,” he said. “Whether I pitch really great or I don’t pitch too well, the next day I wake up, and I know exactly what I have to do.”
Performing in the big moments -- like, say, your first home start as a Yankee against your old team -- comes by hammering them down to a manageable size. To do that means to seek out the big moments to begin with.
“I’ve always been someone who wanted the ball,” Stroman said. “I think a lot of individuals don’t want the ball. A lot of individuals don’t want to be in the spotlight and want to avoid it. I’ve never been that. I work extremely hard, so at the end of the day, you want to be in pressure-filled moments.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 9:34:57 GMT -5
Yankees Place Jonathan Loaisiga On 60-Day IL, Select Dennis Santana
By Leo Morgenstern and Steve Adams | April 5, 2024 at 8:57am CDT
8:57am: Loaisiga first felt discomfort in his elbow near the end of his most recent outing on Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone explained to the Yankees beat this morning (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post). He called the injury “concerning,” noting that an MRI conducted last night revealed a “significant” strain. Loaisiga and the team are gathering more information on the injury and will determine next steps for the right-hander once they’ve received additional opinions.
7:35am: The Yankees have placed right-handed reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the team announced. In a corresponding move, the team has selected the contract of right-hander Dennis Santana. He’s joining the big league bullpen.
Loaisiga, 29, has all the makings of a high-end leverage reliever but hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to establish himself in that role. He showed just how dominant he could be back in 2021 when he pitched 70 2/3 innings of 2.17 ERA ball with an above-average 24.4% strikeout rate, a very strong 5.4% walk rate and a sensational 60.6% ground-ball rate. The Nicaraguan-born righty averaged a blazing 98.4 mph on his sinker that season, notched an excellent 13.7% swinging-strike rate and posted a mammoth 41.1% opponents’ chase rate on pitches off the plate.
Unfortunately for both the Yankees and for Loaisiga, that’s the only season in which he’s ever thrown even 50 big league innings. Loaisiga has only reached even 20 appearances in two seasons. Since committing to a bullpen role in 2020, he’s delivered 163 1/3 innings with a 2.98 ERA (3.34 FIP, 3.42 SIERA), 20.3% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 58% grounder rate. There’s little doubting the raw talent is there to make him a star bullpen arm, but he’s missed time due to a shoulder strain, subsequent shoulder inflammation, elbow inflammation (twice) and now a flexor strain that’ll sideline him into at least the early summer months.
If Loaisiga’s absence extends further than that 60-day minimum, it’s feasible this could spell the end of his time in the Bronx entirely. The right-hander has five-plus years of major league service time and is slated to become a free agent at season’s end.
Santana, 27, signed a minor league pact with the Yankees back in early December. Like Loaisiga, he features a power sinker and strong ground-ball rates when at his best, but he hasn’t found nearly the same success and consistency that Loaisiga has when healthy.
Once one of the Dodgers’ top-ranked pitching prospects, Santana has bounced to the Rangers, Mets and now Yankees since leaving Los Angeles. He’s pitched just 149 2/3 innings in the big leagues and has a pedestrian 5.17 ERA to show for it (though a 4.26 FIP and 4.47 SIERA are a bit more favorable). Santana has averaged just under 96 mph on his sinker in his career and has kept the ball on the ground at a nearly 50% clip since adopting that as his primary offering. But he’s walked more than 12% of his big league opponents and struggled with men on base, resulting in a well below-average strand rate that’s helped to inflate his ERA.
Santana has regularly missed bats at a high level in the upper minors, and his power sinker fits a mold that the Yankees tend to prefer out of their late-inning relievers. He’ll need to improve his command, but Santana wouldn’t be the first relatively obscure arm to break out with the Yankees if he can get himself on track in the Bronx. He’s out of minor league options, however, so it could be a short stint on the 40-man roster if the Yankees feel they need to open another spot in the near future. If he gets a decent leash and can find some success, he’s controllable through the 2026 season via arbitration.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 13:15:07 GMT -5
Yankees, Rougned Odor Agree To Minor League Deal
By Steve Adams | April 5, 2024 at 11:15am CDT
The Yankees have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran infielder Rougned Odor, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The BHSC client can opt out of the contract on July 1 if he hasn’t been added to the roster by that point. Odor had signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball back in January, but the league announced just a couple days ago that he’d been released.
It’s the second Yankees stint for Odor. The now-30-year-old infielder spent the 2021 season in the Bronx and batted .202/.286/.379 with 15 homers in 361 trips to the plate. He’s suited up for the Orioles and Padres since that initial run with the Yankees. Presumably, he’ll head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and hope to play his way into a return to the big league level.
While Odor has a trio of 30-homer seasons under his belt, his offense has tailed off considerably since his run with the Rangers early in his career. The former top prospect hit .238/.295/.445 (95 wRC+) from 2015-19, offsetting much of his above-average power with a free-swinging approach that led to frequently anemic on-base percentages. It was still decent production on the whole, however, and Odor paired that all-or-nothing approach with solid glovework and baserunning skills.
Since the 2020 season, things have taken a swift downturn. Odor has tallied 1138 plate appearances in that time, hitting just .199/.274/.371. He’s begun to walk a bit more and slightly improved his strikeout rate from the 30% at which it sat in 2019. But Odor’s 7.3% walk rate and 25.7% strikeout rate since 2020 are still worse than average, and his baserunning and defense have begun to decline as well. He still clearly has power against righties, but that comes with low average and OBP marks. His numbers against lefties in this stretch (.187/.273/.337) render him nearly unplayable against same-handed opponents.
The Yankees’ infield is banged up at the moment, however, and it seems they’ll be without DJ LeMahieu for longer than expected after he was eventually diagnosed with a fracture in his foot. Back in early March, Oswald Peraza was shut down entirely for six to eight weeks due to a shoulder strain. Even if he’s able to resume baseball activity at the end of that 6-8 week shutdown, he’ll then need to slowly build back up and head out on a minor league rehab stint. We’re not even four weeks from that original shutdown; his return is still quite a ways off.
That pair of infield injuries surely contributed to the Yankees’ late acquisition of utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins — a trade that occurred on the eve of Opening Day. That’s helped soften the blow, but another injury would leave the Yankees relatively thin on infield options. Well-traveled utility infielder Josh VanMeter is in Triple-A at the moment, as are former prospects like Jordan Groshans, Kevin Smith and Jeter Downs. None are on the 40-man roster, however, and none have had any big league success to this point. Odor will give the Yanks some additional depth that has more big league experience and some success — even if it’s been several years since his last productive MLB campaign.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:31:29 GMT -5
Stroman wears his pinstripes well in Yankees' home opener
Righty fulfills dream with brilliant outing, though New York's bats come up empty
April 5th, 2024
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
0:28
0:47
NEW YORK – It was three weeks ago that Marcus Stroman voiced a preference to remain on track to start the Yankees’ home opener, an assignment he desperately craved. The Long Island native could picture himself pitching in pinstripes, thrilling a Bronx audience of friendly faces.
Stroman made good on that promise, delivering six scoreless innings as the Yankees opened their home schedule, though his teammates mustered no support. The Blue Jays spoiled the afternoon, as Ernie Clement’s seventh-inning homer broke a scoreless tie in New York’s 3-0 loss at Yankee Stadium.
“Baseball is a game of ups and downs,” Stroman said. “With this lineup, I don’t see us having many starts like that. They’re going to swing it. They’re going to score runs. We had a hot start on the road, and sometimes you just run into games where you’re not as hot.”
It was the first time the Yanks have been shut out in a home opener since 1967 (3-0 to the Red Sox). Clement’s pinch-hit blast came off left-hander Caleb Ferguson after Stroman silenced the Jays on three hits over a 98-pitch effort (57 for strikes), striking out six with one walk. Over 12 innings as a Yankee, Stroman has yet to permit an earned run.
“The guy shows up and makes pitches when he has to, and got out of some tough jams,” said captain Aaron Judge. “It’s impressive; it’s been fun to watch him work, his process and how he gets prepared for the games. He did it again for us today; we just weren’t able to get him a couple of runs.”
The 32-year-old Stroman was amped, beginning from his early afternoon walk to the bullpen, when he waved a towel and gestured wildly toward fans in the right-field bleachers. Stroman admitted anxiety had kept him from eating much in the 24 hours prior, adding that he’d hardly slept.
“Every kid that has dreams of playing baseball, you imagine yourself pitching Opening Day at home for the New York Yankees,” Stroman said.
As the pregame pageantry neared, Stroman visited briefly with family members, then put his game face on in the bullpen. The audience was on his side. Stroman applauded into his glove after the fifth and sixth innings, his energy and enthusiasm embraced by the sellout assemblage of 47,812.
“I’m very grateful and thankful to the home crowd,” Stroman said. “The energy when I walked out there 35, 40 minutes before the game was incredible. That’s something that I love. I feel like I’m able to pick myself up in those moments. To feel the love from the crowd, that means everything to me.”
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Spirits were high after a strong 6-1 season-opening road trip, and the Bronx faithful seemed ready to embrace Juan Soto as one of their own. As Dominican flags whipped in the bleachers, fans sported shirts with Soto’s No. 22 and sought any sign that their new favorite player might be inclined to stay long-term.
Soto provided reasons to believe, commissioning a pair of snazzy New York-themed cleats that served as a love letter to the five boroughs, then emphatically waving his cap and delivering a deep bow for his first Roll Call from the “Bleacher Creatures.”
The familiar beats of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” accompanied Soto’s first at-bat.
“I’m just trying to find something to get the crowd going. That’s what I was thinking most,” Soto said. “I want them to enjoy it as much as me.”
Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi had other ideas, changing speeds and flashing a quick heater that limited the Yanks to four hits over 5 1/3 scoreless frames. By the eighth inning, Soto’s frustration spilled over, as he spiked his bat and helmet to the infield turf after being struck out for the second time.
That came after an at-bat during which Soto quibbled with home-plate umpire Emil Jimenez’s strike zone. Soto finished the day 0-for-4.
“You want to do so much for this fan base and get your team going,” Soto said. “You have the chance to do it, and I couldn’t get it done. It really gets you mad. At the end of the day, that’s my fault. I shouldn’t do that, but things happen.”
On a day when the Yankees learned they would be without right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga for at least two months and transferred him to the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the bullpen provided reasons for further concern. Nick Burdi tossed three wild pitches in the ninth inning as Toronto padded its lead with a pair of insurance runs.
“It didn’t end well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The crowd was ready to go, ready to erupt. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get it going offensively to really blow the roof off.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:32:38 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Loáisiga (flexor strain) placed on 60-day IL
April 5th, 2024
MLB.com
LATEST NEWS
April 5: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga placed on 60-day IL; RHP Dennis Santana selected
Loáisiga was placed on the injured list, retroactive to April 4, with what manager Aaron Boone described as a “significant” right flexor strain. The 29-year-old appeared in three games this season, not allowing a run in four frames but yielding seven hits while striking out seven. Loáisiga felt discomfort during an April 3 outing at Arizona and underwent an MRI on April 4 in New York.
“At the time, he didn’t really think it was that big of a deal,” Boone said. “He finished the inning, said something. Even after the game, getting with him, I don’t think he was too concerned about it. Obviously, it is concerning. We’ll see what we have in the days and weeks [to come], and where we go from here.”
Santana, who pitched across town last season, was selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In nine games with the Mets last year, the righty recorded a 5.91 ERA with 12 strikeouts.
“I absolutely believe he’s going to play a big role for us this season,” Boone said of Santana. “I’m excited about what he brings. He fit in really well in the spring and has an arsenal that I think is going to allow him to be successful.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 7, 2024 5:30:18 GMT -5
'That's how you draw it up' as Soto, Judge set tone
Superstars' patience and power trigger Yankees' much-needed offensive outburst
1:32 AM ADT
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
NEW YORK -- For the first time this season, the Yankees' new formula worked exactly as they hoped it would. Juan Soto brought his patience, making the opposing pitcher labor through a seven-pitch walk, and Aaron Judge followed with the power.
Loáisiga has torn UCL, will miss rest of '24 season
Judge sparked the offense with a two-run homer as the Bombers sent Kevin Gausman to an early exit. Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo also went deep to help build a big lead, and the Yankees needed every run as they held on for a 9-8 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday evening at Yankee Stadium.
“That’s what we want to be throughout the entire year, and we’re off to a really good start offensively,” Rizzo said. “Guys are wearing pitchers out. It’s not always going to be an explosive offense, but if we grind out pitchers on a nightly basis, I think we’ll be all right.”
A runner-up to Gerrit Cole in last year’s American League Cy Young Award voting, Gausman had few answers for the Yankees on a night when his velocity was down significantly. Gausman’s fastball dipped 3.3 mph from its 2023 norms (94.7 to 91.4), and his splitter fell 4 mph (86.3 mph to 82.3).
The Yankees noticed immediately, and with Gausman’s weapons diminished, New York peppered the righty for six runs (five earned) in 1 1/3 innings – quite a reversal from their fortunes in Friday’s home opener, when the Bombers were shut out on six hits.
“The energy today was amazing,” Judge said. “The fans were jumping from the beginning. It was awesome to get that win for them tonight. We gave them a reason to cheer early on, so that always helps and gets the fans going.”
In the first inning, Gausman got ahead of Soto with an 0-2 count but couldn’t put him away, losing the outfielder to a seven-pitch free pass. From the on-deck circle, Judge watched intently.
“I’m going to see about seven, eight pitches [hitting behind Soto]. He’s going to work the count, put some pressure on the pitcher,” said Judge, who slammed an 0-2 splitter into the left-center-field bullpen for his second home run of the year.
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“It kind of shows me what their game plan is for the night. Getting a chance to sit behind him and watch him do his thing, I can go in there and fine-tune my approach before I walk in. It always helps out.”
The home run was Judge’s fourth career blast off Gausman, tied for his most against any pitcher. The Soto-Judge combo “has a pretty good look to it,” manager Aaron Boone said.
“I was watching Soto coming at me, getting ready to score, and Judgie coming around third base,” Boone said. “I’m like, ‘That’s how you draw it up right there.’ That’s our two big boys getting us rolling right out of the gate.”
Stanton added a big swing of his own later in the first, slugging a drive just over the right-field wall for his second homer of the season. As umpires reviewed the play for potential fan interference, Judge said that he joked with Stanton: “Hit it a little farther, man.”
Though Stanton didn’t clear the fences again, he ripped singles in the third and fifth innings, enjoying his first three-hit performance since Aug. 23, 2023. Stanton had started the season 3-for-24, and his final hit of the evening was the 500th of his Yankees career.
“We all need a night like that once in a while,” Boone said. “He’s so mentally tough and disciplined to what he’s trying to do that I don’t worry about things snowballing. He’s just got to get comfortable and settled in the box. I feel like he’s been in the fight this whole time.”
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Gleyber Torres just missed a grand slam with a long sacrifice fly, and Soto picked up his first Yankee Stadium RBI in pinstripes with a run-scoring single to right field that chased Gausman.
Rizzo added a two-run homer off Mitch White in the fifth inning, arcing his body to will it inside the right-field foul pole. The Yanks improved to 32-4 (including the postseason) when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game.
Yet they had to sweat out the finish, with starter Clarke Schmidt lasting only 4 1/3 innings in a 91-pitch effort.
Luke Weaver struggled in a three-run seventh, and Toronto scored three times in the ninth, prompting Boone to call upon closer Clay Holmes in a game that New York had once led by seven runs.
“When you run out to a big lead and you’re hanging on for dear life at the end, that’s an extra exhale,” Boone said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 7, 2024 5:31:25 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: LeMahieu feels 'close to being ready'
April 6th, 2024
MLB.com
0:19
0:26
LATEST NEWS
April 6: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga to miss rest of season with torn UCL
A day after being placed on the 60-day IL, Loáisiga said that he has a torn UCL and needs season-ending surgery. He said that it will not be Tommy John surgery, and the expected recovery is 10-12 months. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure.
• All Yankees transactions
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot)
Expected return: April or May
LeMahieu took onfield batting practice at Yankee Stadium on April 5 and said that he was encouraged by his progress. LeMahieu has also been fielding ground balls hit directly at him, which he began on April 1, and he has been running with approximately 90 percent effort.
“I’m pretty close to being ready,” LeMahieu said on April 6. “I’m not ready to go, but I’m ready to play baseball. Making progress.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that the “biggest test will be that side-to-side motion, not where you’re running just straight ahead.”
LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following an MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive. LeMahieu resumed hitting in the batting cages on March 29, and he hit on the field for the first time April 2.
Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12, and that he will need a Minor League rehab assignment.
“I’ll probably have to get a few ABs, but I feel like I had a full Spring Training,” LeMahieu said.
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 6)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly April
Kahnle played catch on April 6 and is in line to resume throwing in the bullpen during the week of April 7-13, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Kahnle was slow-played during the spring after right shoulder inflammation ended his 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program until Dec. 12. Though Kahnle was aiming to rejoin the Yankees when eligible on April 9, he experienced soreness after a throwing session on or around April 1, prompting the club to delay him further. (Last updated: April 6)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 8, 2024 5:27:41 GMT -5
Yankees' Gerrit Cole set to begin throwing this week
ESPN News Services
Apr 7, 2024, 04:20 PM ET
New York Yankees ace right-hander Gerrit Cole will start playing catch this week as he continues to rehab his ailing right elbow.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Sunday that Cole could begin throwing Monday or Tuesday.
The team placed Cole on the 60-day injured list prior to Opening Day due to nerve inflammation in the elbow. Cole would be eligible to return May 27.
There was no UCL damage found and Cole's best-case scenario is a return in early June.
A six-time All-Star, Cole was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2011 draft and is the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.
Cole, 33, was 15-4 in 2023 with 222 strikeouts and a 2.63 ERA in 209 innings (33 starts) for New York. He led AL pitchers in win-loss percentage, ERA, games started, shutouts (two) and innings pitched.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 8, 2024 5:30:48 GMT -5
No-doubt slam continues Stanton's revival
Slugger homers for second straight game as Yankees improve to Majors-best 8-2
April 7th, 2024
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
NEW YORK -- The echoing sound was unmistakable, the crack of Giancarlo Stanton’s bat demanding immediate attention from all within a two-block radius of 161st Street and River Avenue. Whether wandering the concourse, scrolling on a smartphone or chowing on a hot dog, you needed to see this one.
Though Stanton has spent the better part of a decade crushing baseballs like few others, the power is still jaw-dropping when his swing clicks right. That was the case in Sunday's third inning, as the slugger launched a long grand slam in the Yankees’ 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays.
“Sometimes,” Stanton said, “you know it off the bat.”
Yes, this was one of those. The 417-foot drive off Toronto’s Bowden Francis rocketed off Stanton’s bat at 110.6 mph, per Statcast. It was Stanton’s 11th career grand slam -- sixth as a Yankee -- and his second home run in as many games.
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Stanton took a few steps while admiring the blast, which clipped the base of an advertisement far beyond the left-field wall, then flipped his bat. Stanton has something to celebrate, believing he has found his timing after beginning the season 3-for-24 (.125) with 13 strikeouts.
“I’ve been able to stay more in my legs,” Stanton said. “It’s good. Over and over again, game after game, just continue to have good at-bats. Put all four or five of them together, not just one or two, and good things will continue to happen.”
In Saturday’s win over the Jays, Stanton scraped the top of the right-field wall with a drive, prompting an umpire review to determine if there had been fan interference.
While waiting out that brief delay in the dugout, Aaron Judge sidled up to Stanton and encouraged his teammate to try hitting the ball a few rows deeper, thus saving everyone a few precious minutes. As Stanton joked on Sunday: “Oh yeah, no review on that.”
“If he goes, we all go,” said Anthony Volpe, who stroked three hits and stole a pair of bases to help the Yankees pull away late. “He’s right there in the middle, protecting all the big guys, too. With him being so good, it trickles all the way down. It’s huge.”
Stanton’s first slam since Sept. 20, 2022, highlighted a five-run frame for the Bombers, who tied the game when Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. They wouldn’t trail the rest of the way, tacking on against the Toronto bullpen.
“Guys had really good at-bats in front of [Stanton] to set that situation up,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He got a pitch that he didn’t miss. It turned out to be the blow of the day. G has been in the at-bats all year; just not getting the results yet, with some swing-and-miss in there. The last couple of days, it’s good to get some results.”
The Yankees are tied with the Pirates (8-2) for the Majors’ best record. They’ve won eight of their first 10 games for just the second time in the past 21 years, having also opened the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with an 8-2 record.
“We’ve been able to win games in different ways,” Boone said. “In a lot of ways, I don’t even feel like we’re totally clicking offensively yet. We’re doing what we need to do.”
One day after the bullpen nearly frittered away a seven-run lead, the trusty lineup card folded into Boone’s back pocket again received a workout, with starter Luis Gil striking out eight over 4 1/3 innings of two-run, two-hit ball.
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Gil clashed with home plate umpire Angel Hernández during an erratic third inning that featured two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but he limited the damage to Alejandro Kirk’s bases-loaded walk, striking out Cavan Biggio to wriggle free.
“I thought he did a really good job after that tough inning, settling in and getting back in the strike zone,” Boone said. “It was a good learning moment.”
Jake Cousins recorded three outs to earn his first Yankees victory in relief, followed by Nick Burdi, Caleb Ferguson and Dennis Santana. Boone said he’d hoped to avoid using Santana, who instead provided five outs of spotless work to earn his first save.
“That’s huge. They’re coming up big,” Stanton said. “They’ve given us a chance to win every game, and that’s all you can ask for.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 8, 2024 19:00:55 GMT -5
Yankees Designate Clayton Andrews, Select Josh Maciejewski
By Darragh McDonald | April 8, 2024 at 3:25pm CDT
The Yankees announced today that they have selected the contract of left-hander Josh Maciejewski. In corresponding moves, they optioned right-hander Jake Cousins and designated lefty Clayton Andrews for assignment.
The Yankees may be looking for an extra multi-inning option to have out of their bullpen. They leaned on Luke Weaver for 47 pitches on Saturday while Cousins threw 32 yesterday and three other hurlers also took the mound. Closer Clay Holmes and setup guy Ian Hamilton were able to stay on ice yesterday and each has only pitched once in the past four days, but many of their other relievers have seen heavy usage of late.
To get a fresh arm in the mix, Cousins has been optioned out and has been replaced by Maciejewski. The 28-year-old Maciejewski was a tenth-round selection of the Yankees in 2018. He’s never been one of the club’s top prospects but had a solid season last year. He tossed 45 2/3 innings over 30 appearances at three different levels, finishing the year with a collective earned run average of 2.96. He struck out 22.9% of batters faced while walking 8.5%. He’s made two Triple-A appearances already this year, tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and one walk.
To get Maciejewski onto the 40-man, the Yanks removed Andrews, who they acquired from the Brewers in February. Andrews, 27, has a tiny sample of major league experience. He made four appearances with the Brewers last year, allowing ten earned runs in 3 1/3 innings.
His work was naturally more impressive at the Triple-A level last year, as he had a 2.53 ERA in 57 frames. His 13% walk rate was definitely on the high side but he struck out 31.1% of batters faced and kept 45.7% of balls in play on the ground. But this year, he’s logged 3 2/3 innings for the Yankees’ Triple-A club, having allowed six earned runs while walking six opponents and striking out just two.
The Yanks will now have a week to trade Andrews or pass him through waivers. He still has a couple of options and was racking up strikeouts in the minors last year, which could give him appeal to a club looking for some extra depth. But if he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, the Yankees would be able to keep him around as non-roster depth.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 9, 2024 3:15:44 GMT -5
Cortes spins 8 scoreless against favorite boyhood team
Lefty gives 9-2 Yankees the length they need as Volpe, Soto hit three-run homers
April 8th, 2024
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
0:28
1:22
NEW YORK -- Some of Nestor Cortes’ fondest childhood memories involve trips to see the Marlins, a team he loved dearly. The Hialeah, Fla., product remembers cheering from the seats for players like Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and Juan Pierre, imagining what it’d be like to play alongside them.
Soto hits first Yankee Stadium homer in pinstripes
Cortes would have to settle for pitching against his once-favorite franchise, and as he faced the Marlins for the first time on Monday night, the lefty rose to the occasion. Backed by homers from Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto, Cortes spun eight scoreless innings in the Yankees’ 7-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.
“That was fun,” Cortes said. “When you’re out there giving guys zeros, you just keep them in the game long enough for them to explode like that. That’s what you hope for as a starting pitcher.”
The Yankees improved to 9-2, matching the club’s best 11-game start in franchise history. The Bombers also won nine of their first 11 games in seven previous seasons: 1922, 1933, 1949, 1958, 1988, 2003 and 2020. Volpe said his biggest takeaway has been “the different types of ways we can win.”
“We’ve won games coming from behind, playing from ahead. We’ve had the lineup pick it up, have the bullpen pick it up, have starters give us length. It’s been pretty well-rounded,” Volpe said.
On a night when manager Aaron Boone admittedly needed length from his starting pitcher, Cortes provided more than expected. Cortes understood the assignment, remarking, “Five wasn’t going to cut it.”
His eight-inning effort matched a career high and marked his longest scoreless effort. He limited Miami to two hits while striking out six and walking none in an efficient, breezy 102-pitch gem (70 for strikes).
Cortes leaned heavily on his fastball (42) and cutter (31), mixing in some sweepers (15) and changeups (11) to keep a young Marlins lineup guessing.
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"These guys have big swings,” Cortes said. “It felt like there was a couple guys in there that I was able to throw a changeup to. I got into counts where I was able to throw it, and I executed really well.”
“He kept us off balance,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “The fastball, changeup and slider were really good, so it messed with our timing. He was outstanding tonight.”
Through his first two starts, Cortes’ main issue had been first-inning runs, as six of the seven tallies he’d allowed came in that opening frame.
But Cortes held Miami hitless until the fourth inning, by far his best start of a season that began with some doubts, considering he spent much of the offseason zipping between Miami and Tampa, Fla., to receive treatment on a balky left shoulder.
“One thing with Nestor, if he’s healthy and going, I don’t worry about his confidence,” Boone said. “He knows he’s good, and he’s now had extended success in this league for a couple of years as a starter. … He’s done a really good job with his daily commitment to doing everything to be healthy and to build progress.”
The Yanks produced all the offense they’d need in the fourth inning. Volpe, the Majors’ leading hitter with a .417 batting average, continued to swing a hot bat, digging out a low slider from Miami starter Jesús Luzardo for a three-run homer.
"I think it's contagious,” Volpe said. “Everyone has trust in each other that the next guy can get it done, so we want to come through."
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Soto added his first Bronx homer as a Yankee later in the inning off Luzardo, slugging a three-run blast into the right-field seats. Soto, who earlier collected his 150th career double, said that his reception during this first homestand has exceeded all expectations.
“They’ve been showing the love every day,” Soto said. “It’s been amazing -- day in, day out, and in the entire game. That’s pretty dope.”
Alex Verdugo knocked in the Yankees’ seventh run with a fifth-inning single, collecting three hits while reaching base four times. The Yanks have won each game so far in which they’ve scored at least one run, scoring at least four in each victory.
“I feel like we’ve been a solid offense, night in and night out,” Boone said. “That said, we don’t have everyone going off right now at the plate, necessarily. I feel like we’ve been solid on defense and made really important defensive plays in winning moments.
“… It’s been a little bit of everyone that’s allowed us to get off to this start, but it’s 11 games in. We’ve got a long way to go."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 9, 2024 3:16:57 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Cole feels 'great' after throwing session
April 8th, 2024
MLB.com
0:04
12:29
LATEST NEWS
April 8: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow discomfort) throws on flat ground
Cole played catch on April 8, making 25 throws at 60 feet on flat ground, and said that the session “went great -- 22 of 25 in the chest. I’m always counting. It’s hard to turn that off.” Cole said that he will have two more throwing sessions during the week of April 8-14.
April 8: Signed LHP Josh Maciejewski to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster; optioned RHP Jake Cousins to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; designated LHP Clayton Andrews for assignment
Maciejewski, 28, was a 10th-round pick by the Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft. He has pitched to a 26-18 record and a 3.52 ERA in 101 Minor League games (31 starts), including a 6-3 record and a 2.96 ERA in 30 appearances last season for High-A Hudson Valley, Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Maciejewski opened this season in Triple-A, where he’d tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings across two outings.
Cousins made two appearances for the Yankees after being purchased from the White Sox on March 31, picking up the victory with an inning of relief in Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Blue Jays. Andrews opened the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he allowed six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings (14.73 ERA).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 10, 2024 5:15:01 GMT -5
Red-hot Yanks roll behind rejuvenated Rodón
12:20 AM ADT
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
0:29
1:05
NEW YORK -- A convincing case can be made that Carlos Rodón needed a reset more than anyone in the Yankees' clubhouse, aiming to flush the disappointments of his first season in pinstripes while reclaiming his confidence and swagger.
As Rodón carved through a punchless Marlins lineup on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, it was a clear reminder of the dominant performances the Yankees hoped to import. The lefty helped the Yanks become the first team this season to reach double-digit wins, as they won their fourth straight game in a 3-2 victory.
“It’s always important for any of us to start out on a good note,” Rodón said. “I think we’re playing really good baseball right now. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and trying to take a third one from them.”
Behind Rodón’s effort and Alex Verdugo’s first Bronx homer as a Yankee, the Bombers ran their record to a Major League-best 10-2, matching their best 12-game start in the Live Ball Era (since 1920). On each of the previous three occasions (1922, 1949 and 2003), the Yanks went on to win the pennant.
“You can’t take [wins] off the board, and they matter now as much as any time,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s early and there’s a long way to go, but any time you can play a stretch of games like this, you’d sure sign up for that.”
Facing a Marlins squad that has now lost 11 of 12, Rodón pitched into the seventh inning, departing with the bases loaded and no outs, thanks, in part, to an Anthony Rizzo error. Though two runs later scored, both were unearned.
As he exited, Rodón received a warm ovation from the announced crowd of 37,680. Those types of receptions were elusive last year, when he battled injury and ineffectiveness after signing a six-year, $162 million contract.
“It’s a step in the right direction today,” Rodón said. “Just keep going. The confidence is growing, for sure.”
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Ian Hamilton, who tossed two scoreless innings in relief, said that Rodón seems to have “a little more drive in his eyes” this season. Verdugo noted that Rodón “is really pitching now” with his four-seamer, slider, cutter and changeup, saying that he “is able to keep lefties and righties honest.”
Scattering four hits and two Walks, Rodón struck out six while lowering his ERA to 1.72 through three starts.
“He continues to stack really good days, and he’s been doing that for months now,” Boone said. “He’s in a really good place, and he’s really competitive right now. He’s done a really good job of pouring into the work he needs to do to put his body in position to go out there and perform.”
A first-year Yankee still settling into his new surroundings, Verdugo coined a nickname for this squad during their season-opening series in Houston, when he referred to his teammates in the lineup as “dawgs.”
Scores of swiftly printed T-shirts greeted the club upon its arrival in New York following an encouraging 6-1 road trip, and Verdugo said that fans have kept that energy by barking at him from the left-field seats.
“I love it, man. To see everybody running with it has been a lot of fun,” Verdugo said. “Who doesn’t like to bark, right?”
Verdugo heard more woofs in the second inning, dropping to one knee to admire a solo shot off left-hander A.J. Puk that reached the short porch in right field.
“It was kind of a weird one. I’ve hit a home run here before,” Verdugo said. “It didn’t really sink in until [Aaron] Judge said to me, ‘That’s your first one here, right?’ It was nice, man, to do it early and get the lead off of it. To help the game settle in a little bit was huge.”
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Giancarlo Stanton added an opposite-field RBI double in the fifth inning off Puk, who lasted 4 2/3 innings. Juan Soto extended New York’s lead with a run-scoring single in the sixth, and Clay Holmes worked the ninth for his fifth save.
“I’m pleased with how the group is competing, how they’ve come together,” Boone said. “We’ve got to keep that same focus going.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 10, 2024 5:16:10 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: LeMahieu, Kahnle progressing
April 9th, 2024
MLB.com
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot)
Expected return: April or May
LeMahieu has taken on-field batting practice and said on April 6 that he was encouraged by his progress. LeMahieu has also been fielding ground balls hit directly at him, which he began on April 1, and he has been running with approximately 90 percent effort.
“I’m pretty close to being ready,” LeMahieu said on April 6. “I’m not ready to go, but I’m ready to play baseball. Making progress.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on April 9 that LeMahieu has "been introduced to side-to-side [movements] and things like that, so he’s moving in a pretty good direction."
LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following an MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive. LeMahieu resumed hitting in the batting cages on March 29, and he hit on the field for the first time April 2.
Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12, and that he will need a Minor League rehab assignment.
“I’ll probably have to get a few ABs, but I feel like I had a full Spring Training,” LeMahieu said.
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 9)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly April
Kahnle played catch on April 6 and is in line to resume throwing in the bullpen on either April 11 or 12, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Kahnle was slow-played during the spring after right shoulder inflammation ended his 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program until Dec. 12. Though Kahnle was aiming to rejoin the Yankees when eligible on April 9, he experienced soreness after a throwing session on or around April 1, prompting the club to delay him further. (Last updated: April 9)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 11, 2024 5:30:48 GMT -5
30 for 30: Stanton latest to homer vs. every team
Yankees slugger joins list after going deep vs. his former club for 1st time
1:03 AM ADT
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
0:20
0:27
NEW YORK -- It has been a while since Giancarlo Stanton looked this locked in at the plate. As he completed a lap around the Majors with a home run against his 30th team, the Yankees' slugger feels like a dangerous threat once more against all challengers.
Stanton belted a sixth-inning home run in the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday evening at Yankee Stadium, representing his first career home run against his former club. Stanton is the 15th active player to homer against all 30 teams.
“It’s pretty cool,” Stanton said. “You hear guys do it over the years, from when I was watching as a kid. It’s pretty good.”
More than six years after his final game in their uniform, Stanton easily remains the Marlins’ franchise leader in home runs (267). His blast off Miami reliever Bryan Hoeing came with the Yankees trailing by four.
It was Stanton’s fourth homer of the year and his third in the past five games.
“Man, he looks good,” said manager Aaron Boone, who was ejected by home-plate umpire John Bacon in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes. “It’s health. Even going back to before him getting really locked in over these last several days, he’s been in the at-bats all year.”
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Stanton said he is now “putting together a solid foundation of at-bats” after striking out 13 times in his first 25 at-bats.
“His approach right now is pretty incredible,” said Yankees starter Marcus Stroman, who took his first loss with the club after allowing four runs in five innings. “He’s staying on that ball away, he’s driving it to right field, he’s not pulling off.
“He’s getting to velocity. He’s laying off quality pitches, strike-to-ball pitches in the zone. He’s getting in really good counts. He looks scary in the box right now, for sure.”
Stanton’s present-day teammate Juan Soto has homered against 28 Major League clubs, needing to cross off only the Angels and Rangers, each of whom the Yankees will play six times this season. Aaron Judge has also homered against 28 teams, but he's obviously missing the Yankees, along with the Cardinals. Anthony Rizzo has gone deep against 29 teams -- but he, too, is missing the Yanks.
New man at the top
Less than 24 hours after opining that Anthony Volpe’s future would likely place him at the top of the lineup, Boone moved the shortstop into the leadoff spot.
It could be an extended stay for the 22-year-old, who reached base safely three times on Wednesday and is batting .372 (16-for-43) with a .460 on-base percentage.
“I was excited,” Volpe said. "To be able to hit at the top of this lineup -- hit in front of guys like that -- and just try to get on base to do my job. I feel like it’s a good place to be.”
Volpe said he is “definitely not uncomfortable” hitting leadoff, which he did throughout his Minor League career.
“You’re not always going to get results, but [if] you have the level of at-bats he’s putting in night in and night out, you’re going to be successful,” Boone said. “We’re seeing that. Whether an at-bat ends in an out or he’s getting on base, it’s a pretty high-level at-bat right now.”
Even so, Boone said the change was more about Gleyber Torres than Volpe, stating that he believes Torres has been pressing in the leadoff spot. Torres walked twice and struck out twice out of the six-spot, including an eighth-inning whiff that left two men on.
That’s a wrap
Though a ninth-inning rally fell short, with Judge lifting a bases-loaded flyout to center field that snapped New York’s four-game winning streak, Soto still viewed it as a memorable first homestand in pinstripes.
“The crowds showed up every game and they were unbelievable,” said Soto, who ripped a run-scoring double in the eighth inning and is batting .360 with 12 RBIs. “I’m more than excited that we got the win in both series, so I think it was pretty cool.”
The Yanks won four of six against the Blue Jays and Marlins, building a 10-3 record that is their second-best 13-game start in franchise history, behind only an 11-2 showing by the 2003 American League pennant-winning club.
“We had an opportunity to win all of them, so we’re in a good spot,” Stanton said. “We’re having good at-bats when it counts -- when it matters -- and getting prepped with a lot of traffic. [We’re] being able to have good at-bats under pressure and execute.”
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