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Rangers Sign Diego Castillo To Minor League Contract
The Rangers have signed infielder Diego Castillo to a minor league contract, per an announcement from his now-former club in the Mexican League, los Algodoneros del Unión Laguna. Presumably, the MAS+ Agency client will head to Triple-A Round Rock, although the Rangers have not yet formally announced the deal.
Castillo, 28, has played briefly in parts of three major league seasons. He logged a career-high 283 plate appearances with the 2022 Pirates before taking one plate appearance with the 2023 D-backs and eight with the 2024 Twins. He’s a career .208/.257/.383 hitter with 11 homers in the big leagues.
Though he hasn’t had much big league experience, Castillo has been an on-base machine in the upper minors. He’s played in parts of five Triple-A seasons and sports a .279/.384/.401 batting line there. Castillo has more than 1200 innings at each of second base, third base and shortstop. He’s also logged 91 innings at first base, 536 innings in left field and 224 innings in right field, giving him plenty of defensive versatility.
Castillo had something of a down year in Triple-A last season, hitting .262/.342/.395 in 263 plate appearances between the top affiliates for the Mets and Royals. He followed that with an unproductive 19-game stint in the Venezuelan Winter League and didn’t catch on with an affiliated club.
A sensational stint in Mexico quickly drew some big league attention, however; he’s totaled 38 plate appearances and is slashing .559/.605/.853 with a pair of homers, four doubles and more walks (four) than strikeouts (two). The Mexican League is notoriously hitter-friendly, but Castillo’s production is virtually unmatched. Former big league outfielder Andrew Stevenson (.455/.581/1.000) is the only hitter (min. 40 plate appearances) with a better OPS there so far in 2026.
Royals Sign Anthony Gose To Minor League Deal
The Royals signed left-handed reliever Anthony Gose to a minor league deal, per a club announcement. The CAA client has been assigned to Triple-A Omaha for the time being.
Gose, 35, was a two-way star as an amateur but drafted by the Phillies as an outfielder in the second round back in 2008. He spent years as a top-100 prospect in that role, eventually debuting with the 2012 Blue Jays after being traded to Toronto. He played parts of five season as an outfielder between Toronto and Detroit but managed only a .240/.309/.348 slash in 1252 big league plate appearances.
In 2017, Gose returned to the mound, beginning a transition back to a pitcher after his outfield career had begun to sputter. He’s pitched in the minors with Detroit, Texas, Cleveland, Arizona and New York (Mets), but the Guardians are the lone club to have brought him to the majors as a pitcher — which they’ve done in three seasons (2021, 2022, 2024).
Gose has pitched a total of 32 major league frames, showing huge velocity and bat-missing ability but shaky command. In his limited MLB work on the mound, he’s posted a 4.78 ERA, fanned 29.7% of his opponents and issued walks at a 12.3% clip. Gose reached the majors as a reliever in 2021, brandishing a fastball that averaged a blistering 99.3 mph. He was down to a 97 mph average the following season and wound up requiring Tommy John surgery in Sept. 2022. He returned to the majors with the Guards in 2024 but was tagged for five runs in 4 1/3 innings with a heater that sat 95.7 mph.
Gose split the 2025 season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Mets and D-backs. His average fastball dipped below 95 mph with New York’s Syracuse affiliate, but he added velo as the season went on and finished out the year sitting 95.9 mph with Arizona’s Reno club. Results-wise, he pitched 37 innings with a 4.62 ERA, a 24.3% strikeout rate and a 13.6% walk rate.
This past offseason, Gose signed with los Leones de Yucatán in the Mexican League. He opened the ’26 season with 5 2/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing only one hit and no walks. He punched out a ridiculous 12 of the 17 batters he faced. That understandably caught the attention of a Royals club that currently ranks 29th in bullpen ERA, with a collective 5.75 mark that leads only the Astros. Gose won’t jump right into the big league ranks, but with a nice showing in Triple-A and/or persistent struggles among Kansas City’s major league relief corps, it’s feasible he could get a look before long.
Phillies Fire Rob Thomson, Name Don Mattingly Interim Manager
There’s a major shakeup in Philadelphia. The Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday morning. Don Mattingly is the interim skipper, with the team’s press release saying he’ll hold that position for the remainder of the 2026 season. Philadelphia promoted third base coach Dusty Wathan to replace Mattingly as bench coach while calling up Triple-A manager Anthony Contreras as third base coach.
Philadelphia is the second struggling big-market team to make an early managerial change. The Red Sox dismissed Alex Cora and much of their coaching staff over the weekend. The Phillies didn’t overhaul the staff to the same extent, but it’s a major change nonetheless. They’ll hope it’ll light a fire under an underperforming team that is out to a 9-19 start, tying them with the Mets at the bottom of the National League.
It’s easy to connect the dots given the timing of the firings. Phils president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was leading the Red Sox’s front office when Boston first hired Cora in 2017. The Sox won the World Series a year later. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Phillies offered the job to Cora, who declined while citing a desire to spend more time with family. Cora’s deal with Boston paid him upwards of $7MM per season through 2027, so he’s well positioned financially to take some time away if that’s indeed his preference.
The Phillies decided a change was needed even if Cora weren’t interested. Mattingly seems set to handle through the job through the end of the season. Of course, he has an even stronger tie with the Philly front office. His son Preston is Philadelphia’s general manager, the #2 in baseball operations underneath Dombrowski.
The firing ends Thomson’s three-plus year run leading the club, one that was highly successful overall. He was initially hired on an interim basis when the Phils dismissed Joe Girardi in June 2022. Thomson took over a team that was seven games below .500 and 12 back in the NL East. They went 65-46 the rest of the way to snag the NL’s final playoff spot, then tore through the Senior Circuit playoff field to win the pennant. Even after they dropped a six-game World Series at the hands of the Astros, it was an easy call for the Phillies to commit to Thomson as the full-time skipper.
It’d be too simplistic to attribute the ’22 turnaround solely to the managerial change. The Phils dismissed Girardi because they had a talented roster that wasn’t performing to expectations. Some kind of improvement was probably inevitable either way. The Phillies’ regular season results continued to improve during Thomson’s three full seasons at the helm. They respectively won 90, 95, and 96 games between 2023-25. Philadelphia has won the NL East in each of the last two seasons and comfortably made the playoffs all three years.
Despite the regular season trend, their postseason performances have gone in the wrong direction. Philadelphia lost a seven-game NLCS to the Diamondbacks in 2023. They’ve been bounced in the Division Series (by the Mets and Dodgers, respectively) in each of the past two years. Philly’s front office has pointed to the unpredictability of short series in remaining committed to Thomson as manager. They signed him to an extension running through 2027 last December.
Things changed quickly. The Phillies couldn’t have started this year much more poorly. They’ve only won two series, and those came against the Nationals and Rockies. They’ve lost each of their past six series, including a 10-game losing streak that dropped them from .500 to 8-18 last week.
The issues have been up and down the roster. Cristopher Sánchez has been their only effective starting pitcher. The offense has scored 102 runs, above only the Giants and Mets. They’re 29th in batting average and on-base percentage while ranking 17th in home runs. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh have been their only above-average hitters. They’ve gotten particularly poor starts from Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott, while offseason signee Adolis García hasn’t provided much in right field.
Philadelphia’s recent success has been built on excellent starting pitching and a potent lineup. They’ve had a difficult time building strong bullpens and are one of the league’s weakest defensive teams. The rotation should benefit from Zack Wheeler’s return from thoracic outlet surgery and more consistency from Jesús Luzardo, but they’re lacking depth beyond their top five arms. The Phillies let Ranger Suárez walk in free agency, relying on Andrew Painter to step into the rotation. Painter’s performance has been up and down, while Aaron Nola continues to be much too susceptible to home runs. They pulled the plug on Taijuan Walker last week, releasing the struggling righty once Wheeler returned.
The front office certainly deserves some of the blame for the underwhelming start. That said, it’s not as if Thomson’s managerial tenure was uniformly positive. He came under some fire for his in-game tactics in the playoffs and had a rift with Nick Castellanos, who publicly criticized the skipper’s communication skills. Veteran reliever Matt Strahm reportedly also voiced some displeasure internally with how Thomson handled his bullpen last season. The front office sided with Thomson in both instances, releasing Castellanos and trading Strahm to Kansas City.
It now falls on Mattingly to lead a turnaround, one the Phillies hope will resemble their 2022 season. They’ve already dropped 10.5 games behind the red hot Braves in the division race. Getting to 90 wins would require them to play at a 60.4% clip (a 98-win pace) for the rest of the season. It’s doable but leaves them without much margin for error, and another few weeks of play this poor would dig a hole from which they’d have almost no chance to recover.
The 65-year-old Mattingly is in his first season in Philadelphia. He spent the previous three seasons working as John Schneider’s bench coach in Toronto. The Jays came up just shy of winning a World Series last year and hoped to bring back their entire coaching staff. Mattingly declined, preferring the Philly opportunity. It seems fair to assume he didn’t expect to be the interim manager within a month of joining one of the NL’s perennial contenders, but that’s the situation in which he finds himself.
Mattingly has 12 seasons of managerial experience. He led the Dodgers from 2011-15 and skippered the Marlins between 2016-22. He predictably had much more success in Los Angeles, leading the team to three division titles. Mattingly made the postseason just once in seven seasons in Miami, a 31-29 showing during the shortened 2020 schedule. He holds an 889-950 record as a major league manager.
Wathan assumes his highest-profile role on the Philly staff. The 52-year-old has been in the organization for nearly two decades. He worked his way up as a minor league manager and has been the third base coach since the 2018 season. Wathan has held that position under Gabe Kapler, Girardi, and Thomson. Contreras now takes that role for his first MLB coaching opportunity. He has managed Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the last four-plus seasons.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic was first on Thomson’s dismissal and Mattingly being named interim manager. Respective images courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images.
Yankees To Recall Elmer Rodríguez For MLB Debut
The Yankees will recall highly-regarded pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez this week, as first reported by Yankees Farm. Manager Aaron Boone tells Talkin’ Yanks that the 22-year-old righty will start Wednesday’s game against the Rangers.
Rodríguez will oppose Nathan Eovaldi in his MLB debut. The Yankees have already tabbed Cam Schlittler to go against Jacob deGrom in tonight’s fantastic pitching duel. They’d listed Will Warren as their probable starter on Wednesday. He’ll evidently be pushed back beyond Thursday’s off day and make his next outing this weekend against the Orioles.
The Yankees haven’t announced their weekend rotation plans. It seems likely they’ll go with Warren, Ryan Weathers and Max Fried in that order. Warren and Weathers will be working on two extra days of rest, while Fried will be on five days rest after starting last night.
New York has an opening on the pitching staff after optioning Luis Gil on Sunday. They called up Jasson Domínguez in conjunction with the Gil demotion, but they can return to a 13-pitcher setup by calling up a fresh arm when Giancarlo Stanton goes on the injured list today. They could recall Rodríguez today or go with a ninth reliever for tonight’s game and make another move tomorrow.
Rodríguez is arguably the organization’s top pitching prospect. The Yankees acquired him from the Red Sox in a December 2024 swap for catcher Carlos Narváez. That has turned into a much bigger trade than expected for both teams. Narváez quickly jumped Connor Wong as Boston’s primary catcher and finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Rodríguez was a mid-tier developmental pitching prospect who had yet to reach Double-A. He’s now among the top minor league arms in the game.
The Puerto Rico native combined for a 2.58 earned run average across 150 minor league innings last season. He fanned 29% of opponents while cutting his walks a couple points to a manageable 9.4% clip. The Yankees had an easy call to add him to the 40-man roster to avoid losing him in the Rule 5 draft. Rodríguez has made four strong turns through the Triple-A rotation, allowing a 1.27 ERA with a 26% strikeout rate across 21 1/3 frames.
Rodríguez sits around 94-95 mph with his four-seam fastball and sinker. He mixes a changeup, slider and curveball while occasionally throwing a cutter. Scouting reports praise the heavy sinker as a plus ground-ball offering. Rodríguez got grounders at a huge 55% clip in the minors last year and is in that range again through his first month of this season.
Although it’s not the most overpowering arsenal, Rodríguez has the repertoire depth and control to profile as a potential mid-rotation arm. FanGraphs, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN and Baseball America each rank him as a Top 100 prospect and the #2 player in the system behind shortstop George Lombard Jr. MLB Pipeline slots him behind Lombard and Carlos Lagrange in the organization but has him in the back half of their Top 100 list. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Rodríguez sixth in the system, expressing a bit more skepticism about the righty’s command but writing that he has a #2 starter ceiling if he throws enough strikes.
Rodríguez is eligible for the Prospect Promotion Incentive, meaning he’d earn a full year of service time if he finishes top two in AL Rookie of the Year voting. It seems unlikely he’ll place that highly, as it’s not clear how long a look he’ll get in his first big league stint. Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are each on rehab assignments and could be back within the next few weeks. Rodríguez should get at least two or three turns but might be pushed back to Triple-A once Rodón and/or Cole are healthy. The Yankees have gotten excellent work out of their rotation aside from Gil’s four starts.
Cubs’ Riley Martin To Miss Eight Weeks
Cubs rookie Riley Martin hit the injured list with what was originally described as elbow inflammation this weekend, but the left-hander has now been diagnosed with a flexor strain, per Marquee’s Taylor McGregor. He’s expected to miss around eight weeks, which would sideline the 28-year-old southpaw into late June.
It’s a tough development for both Martin and the Cubs. The 2021 sixth-rounder was added to the 40-man roster back in November in order to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft after he’d posted a 2.69 ERA and 30.7% strikeout rate in 63 2/3 Triple-A frames last year. He was recalled to the majors for his big league debut early this month. Martin’s first few weeks in MLB couldn’t have gone much better. He appeared in eight games and totaled 8 1/3 innings, holding opponents to a pair of runs (2.16 ERA) on five hits and two walks with 10 punchouts.
Martin’s flexor strain is the latest in a mounting number of bullpen injuries for a Cubs team that has also lost Porter Hodge (UCL surgery), Daniel Palencia (lat strain), Hunter Harvey (triceps inflammation) and Caleb Thielbar (hamstring strain) in recent weeks. Hodge’s season is over. Palencia’s lat strain isn’t on his throwing side, so he should be able to return within the next couple weeks. There’s been no indication that Thielbar or Harvey will require lengthy absences.
Even if each of Palencia, Thielbar and Harvey is back at some point in mid-May, it’s a worrisome number of injuries. The Cubs also lost Phil Maton for a couple weeks due to tendinitis in his knee. He returned last night but was tagged for two runs in an inning of work — his fourth straight appearance in which he was charged with two earned runs. Maton’s ERA on the young season sits at a sky-high 14.40, so it seems clear he hasn’t been functioning at 100% to this point.
In addition to both Thielbar and Martin being sidelined, the Cubs are also without 26-year-old lefty Jordan Wicks, who’s on the IL due to elbow inflammation. Left-handed relief is an area of some depth for the Cubs, and veteran Hoby Milner (who signed a one-year deal in free agency this winter) is still healthy, giving skipper Craig Counsell at least one experienced option. Ryan Rolison is currently on the roster as a second lefty, but the former Rockies prospect was a January waiver claim who’s yet to solidify himself in the majors. He’s pitched four scoreless innings so far as a Cub but has fanned only one of the 13 batters he’s faced.
Martin’s timetable makes him a candidate to move to the 60-day injured list the next time the Cubs need a roster spot. It’s feasible he’ll be able to return just inside a 60-day window, but that likely won’t dissuade the Cubs from making the move, given a difference of just a few days between his best-case scenario and that 60-day term. In the meantime, he’ll accrue major league service time and major league salary.
The Opener: Bazzana, Yesavage, Vargas
The Dodgers walked off the Marlins on Monday night. Manager Dave Roberts emptied his bench to spur the comeback. Catcher Dalton Rushing pinch-hit for Santiago Espinal, walking and scoring the game-tying run. If the game didn’t end on a base hit by Kyle Tucker, the defensive alignment would’ve been interesting in extras. Roberts confirmed to reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) that it would’ve been Rushing at first base, Max Muncy at second base, and Freddie Freeman at third base.
1. Bazzana gets the call
The Guardians are expected to promote second baseman Travis Bazzana for Tuesday’s matchup against the Rays. The top overall pick in the 2024 draft was off to an excellent start at Triple-A, posting a 152 wRC+ across 117 plate appearances. MLB Pipeline ranks Bazzana as the No. 1 prospect in the Cleveland organization and No. 16 overall. The infielder is slated for everyday reps at the keystone, where the club has struggled to find consistent production. Utilityman Daniel Schneemann has hit well in minimal time at the position, but Juan Brito has struggled to a .176/.250/.255. Brayan Rocchio wasn’t much better, though he’s heated up since moving to shortstop after the Gabriel Arias injury. Bazzana should have plenty of runway to stake his claim to the second base gig.
2. Yesavage makes his return
Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage is slated to make his season debut against the Red Sox. The 2025 postseason star has been sidelined with a shoulder impingement. Yesavage hasn’t exactly dominated during his rehab assignment, posting a 7.50 ERA in 12 innings between Single-A and Triple-A, but the punchouts have been there (28.6% strikeout rate). Yesavage will rejoin a Toronto rotation desperate for healthy arms. The club just lost Max Scherzer to forearm and ankle injuries. He joins Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Cody Ponce on the IL. Yesavage maxed out at 71 pitches during his rehab stint, so he shouldn’t be expected to go more than five innings in his return. He’ll face off against another exciting young AL East arm, with Payton Tolle on the other side.
3. Vargas on improbable run
Diamondbacks utility player Ildemaro Vargas has gone from versatile journeyman to one of the best hitters in the league this season. The 34-year-old just launched four home runs and knocked in 12 en route to NL Player of the Week honors. Vargas is slashing an absurd .367/.383/.722 through 82 plate appearances. He’s riding a 20-game hit streak. Vargas has already matched his career high with six home runs, a mark he set back in 2019 in his first stint with Arizona. It’s hard to imagine Vargas continuing this torrid stretch, but the underlying stats largely back it up. He ranks in the 99th percentile for xBA and in the 89th percentile for xSLG.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Guardians To Select Travis Bazzana
The Guardians are reportedly promoting 2024 first overall pick Travis Bazzana. He should debut tomorrow and take over as the everyday second baseman. They’ll open an active roster spot by optioning Juan Brito. Cleveland still has an opening on the 40-man roster after waiving Kolby Allard a couple weeks ago, so no other move is necessary.
Cleveland’s middle infield has been in flux since Gabriel Arias went down with a left hamstring strain three weeks ago. That moved Brayan Rocchio from second base to shortstop. The Guardians promoted Brito after the Arias injury, but the 24-year-old second baseman struggled after collecting five hits in his first three games. Brito had just four hits in 39 at-bats over his next 12 contests. He also committed four errors across 123 1/3 innings.
That opened the door for Bazzana’s first major league look. The Australian-born infielder is out to a strong .287/.422/.511 start over 24 games with Triple-A Columbus. He has taken walks at a huge 17.9% clip against a league average 21.4% strikeout rate. Bazzana only has two home runs, but he has already tallied 11 doubles and a pair of triples. He’s also 8-10 in stolen base attempts.
Bazzana’s advanced hit tool and extremely patient approach have been his calling cards dating back to his college days at Oregon State. He was expected to be one of the quickest players from his draft to the majors. Instead, Chase Burns, Nick Kurtz, Cam Smith, JJ Wetherholt, Jac Caglianone, Christian Moore, Trey Yesavage, Carson Benge and even Konnor Griffin (a high school draftee) were all 2024 first-rounders who got to the big leagues before he did.
That’s at least partially due to health. A pair of oblique injuries limited Bazzana to 77 games between the top two minor league levels last season (plus seven rehab contests at the Arizona complex). It was understandable the Guardians wanted him to open the season in Triple-A. They probably should have swapped him in for Brito earlier than they have this April, however.
It’s a moot point now, as Bazzana joins Chase DeLauter as touted rookies in Stephen Vogt’s lineup. He has been a full-time second baseman in the minor leagues and could see time at the keystone and designated hitter. That’d allow them to use hot-hitting utility player Daniel Schneemann more frequently in left field against right-handed pitching. George Valera has started slowly since returning from a season-opening calf strain, while the switch-hitting Angel Martínez has better career numbers against lefties.
Bazzana comfortably meets the criteria to qualify for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. He entered the season among the top 25 minor league talents at each of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and ESPN. He was a little lower on preseason rankings from FanGraphs and Keith Law of The Athletic but still easily a consensus Top 100 prospect.
It’s beyond the point at which Bazzana can accrue a full service year through time spent on the MLB roster. He would earn a full year of service time if he places within the top two in AL Rookie of the Year voting. It’ll be a challenge to compete with Kevin McGonigle, Munetaka Murakami, Carter Jensen and teammates DeLauter and Parker Messick among what could be an excellent AL rookie class. The Guardians would not be eligible for an extra draft choice if Bazzana wins Rookie of the Year because they waited beyond the second week of April to call him up.
If Bazzana sticks on the MLB roster, he’d be a lock to qualify for early arbitration as a Super Two player after 2028. The Guardians will hope he hits the ground running and solidifies his hold on the second base job. If not, future optional assignments to the minor leagues could change his service trajectory. Arias’ initial 4-8 week recovery timeline left open a potential May return. He should be a utility player but could reclaim the shortstop job and push Rocchio back to second if Bazzana struggles in his first look at big league pitching.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the Bazzana promotion. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reported the Brito demotion. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images.
Reese McGuire Elects Free Agency
Catcher Reese McGuire elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction tracker. The White Sox designated him for assignment over the weekend.
McGuire was on the Sox’s roster for around a month. He was in camp with Milwaukee on a minor league contract but didn’t have a path to an MLB job after the Brewers signed Gary Sánchez to back up William Contreras. McGuire opted out at the end of Spring Training and pulled a big league deal from the White Sox.
The 31-year-old appeared in 11 games, hitting .172 without an extra-base hit across 34 plate appearances. He also had a tough time defensively, committing two passed balls and failing to throw out any of 15 base stealers. The pitching staff probably shoulders some of the blame for the latter issue. McGuire has a reasonably strong arm and threw out an above-average 26% of runners last season in a backup role with the Cubs.
In any case, the White Sox weren’t wedded to McGuire as a backup catcher. He has appeared for four teams, including two separate stints with the Sox, over a career spanning parts of nine seasons. They were paying him a $1.2MM salary, a little above the league minimum.
Players who have more than five years of MLB service time ordinarily can refuse a minor league assignment while retaining their full salary. However, some fringe roster players will sign contracts that include advance consent clauses. Barring injury, those deals aren’t fully guaranteed until 45 days into the regular season.
If McGuire’s deal contained such a clause, the Sox save a couple hundred thousand dollars by swapping him out for Drew Romo, who was selected from Triple-A to replace him. Edgar Quero remains the primary catcher as long as Kyle Teel is on the injured list.
McGuire will likely look for a minor league contract elsewhere. He was reasonably productive on the other side of Chicago last year, popping nine homers in 44 games for the Cubs. McGuire owns a .246/.292/.369 slash line in a little over 1200 career plate appearances.
Yankees To Place Giancarlo Stanton On Injured List
The Yankees are placing Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day injured list with a “low-grade” strain of his right calf, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (relayed by Erik Boland of Newsday). They can backdate the placement to April 25.
New York recalled Jasson Domínguez to serve as the designated hitter in tonight’s 4-2 win over the Rangers. They played with 14 position players and only 12 pitchers after optioning struggling starter Luis Gil on Sunday. That means they’ll probably recall a reliever tomorrow as the corresponding move for the Stanton IL placement.
Stanton tweaked his calf on Friday while running the bases. The Yankees gave it a few days before making the IL move. Between that and Boone specifying that it’s of a low-grade variety, it doesn’t seem the club anticipates an extended absence. Stanton will need at least another week before he’s able to return to action.
It’s the first injury of the 2026 season for Stanton. He has required at least one IL trip in every year since 2018 and hasn’t reached 500 plate appearances in a season in five years. The Yankees surely anticipated at least one injury absence from the five-time All-Star.
Stanton is out to a league average start at the plate. He’s hitting .256/.302/.422 with a trio of home runs through 96 plate appearances. The power numbers are down in the early going, but Stanton still ranks at the top of the league in bat speed and exit velocity. Even if repeating last season’s .273/.350/.594 slash would be a tough ask, he should remain an impact power threat when he’s able to take the field.
This should open the DH spot for Domínguez, at least against right-handed pitching. He got the nod tonight against Jack Leiter and went 1-4 in his season debut. The Yankees face two more right-handers, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, to close that three-game series. The switch-hitting Domínguez has been much better from the left side in his career and would be the sensible choice to start those games.
The complicating factor is that the Yankees are expected to welcome Anthony Volpe back from the injured list this week. That’ll push José Caballero to a utility role and someone off the big league bench — presuming they don’t want to stick with a 12-man pitching staff. Ben Rice hasn’t caught all season and is destroying the ball as the primary first baseman. They may not want to mess with that arrangement by optioning J.C. Escarra and making Rice the backup catcher.
They could option Domínguez back to Triple-A, but he’s probably not benefiting much from destroying mediocre minor league pitching. He was squeezed off the season-opening roster simply because the Yankees couldn’t find a path to getting him everyday playing time, which is now open at DH as long as Stanton is on the shelf.
That could instead point to them designating a veteran role player for assignment once Volpe returns. Randal Grichuk broke camp in a short side platoon outfield role and is hitting .194 without a home run over 33 plate appearances. Paul Goldschmidt has had a slow start as well but figures to have a longer leash in his second season in the Bronx on a $4MM contract.