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Boone: Yankees Working On “Potential Deal” To Add Pitcher

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The Yankees are working on a “potential” deal to add a pitcher to the staff, manager Aaron Boone told reporters prior to today’s season opener (Twitter link, with video, via SNY). Boone didn’t futher tip his hand as to whether the Yankees are talking to a free agent or discussing a possible trade. However, they’re opening the season with 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their roster, reflective of both a potentially incoming arm and an off-day on the schedule Friday.

“We’re going with just seven guys in the ’pen, obviously with an off-day tomorrow, where we have a potential deal going that’ll probably change that moving forward in the next day or two,” said Boone. “…A pitcher could be in play for us, that we add or not. Whether or not we do, we’d be in a position to pull from the minor leagues, too.”

New York’s pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, evidenced by the sheer number of players who are beginning the season on the injured list. The Yankees announced today that lefty Carlos Rodon (forearm strain) and righties Luis Severino (lat strain), Lou Trivino (elbow strain), Tommy Kahnle (biceps tendinitis) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) have all been placed on the 15-day injured list. Right-handers Scott Effross (2022 Tommy John surgery) and Luis Gil (2022 Tommy John surgery) both were placed on the 60-day IL. Center fielder Harrison Bader (oblique strain) and catcher Ben Rortvedt (shoulder aneurysm surgery) are both on the 10-day IL.

Also of note from Boone’s media session today, the skipper indicated that not only will Oswaldo Cabrera get the Opening Day start in left field — but he’ll open the season as the team’s primary left fielder (Twitter link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post). Aaron Hicks will still get some time against left-handed pitching, and Cabrera’s versatility means he’ll occasionally line up at other spots, but it seems the current plan is for him to be the most frequently used option in left field.

The 24-year-old Cabrera made his big league debut in 2022, slashing .247/.312/.429 in 171 plate appearances. Originally expected to be in more of a versatile infield/outfield utility role, the switch-hitting Cabrera seized a more prominent role with a monster spring showing. In 57 plate appearances, he batted .340/.386/.623 with four homers, three doubles, four walks (7%) and 10 strikeouts (17.5%).

The Yankees also confirmed some previously known/reported moves. Top prospect Anthony Volpe’s contract has been formally selected, and he’ll open the season as the Yankees’ primary shortstop. Right-hander Jhony Brito was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is expected to start the team’s third game of the season on Sunday. And, as was widely reported yesterday, the Yankees signed outfielder/first baseman Franchy Cordero to a Major League contract and formally added him to their Opening Day roster.

Players That Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Just about every baseball team has a full 40-man roster now, with the Astros the only team with an open spot at the moment. That means that just about every transaction, be it a free agent signing or a waiver claim, requires a corresponding move.

However, that could soon change as the injured list is coming back soon. There’s no IL from the end of a season until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training for the next campaign, which they will do next week. That means some clubs could potentially gain a bit of extra roster flexibility at that time, since players on the 60-day IL don’t count against a team’s roster total. However, it’s worth pointing out that the “60 days” don’t start until Opening Day, which is March 30 this year. That means, though a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL next week, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until end of May or later.

With some notable free agents still unsigned like Jurickson Profar, Andrew Chafin, Michael Wacha, Elvis Andrus and many others, it’s possible that teams interested in their services might try to hold off on getting a deal done until next week. Or perhaps clubs that have players they would like to sneak through waivers will try to do so now, before rival clubs gain that extra roster flexibility with the IL opening up. Then again, some clubs will need to keep in mind non-roster players they are planning to promote by Opening Day and might hold off on making a move until that time.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time and could find themselves transferred soon, sorted by division.

AL East

Hyun Jin Ryu/Chad Green

The Blue Jays have a pair of pitchers on their 40-man roster who are returning from Tommy John surgery. They should be on a similar timeline, as they each underwent the procedure in June of last year, though Green will most likely return first since relievers generally require less time to build up arm strength compared to starters. Regardless, the recovery time period for TJS is about 12-18 months, meaning neither pitcher is likely to return until midseason at the earliest. Ryu recently said he was targeting a July return.

Trevor Story

The Red Sox shortstop recently underwent an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow, a similar operation to Tommy John. Though he’s confident he’ll return at some point, he’s slated to miss most of the upcoming season and is certainly headed for the injured list.

John Means

The Orioles lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in late of April of 2022. With the 12-18 month recovery window for TJS, he could theoretically return in the first couple of months of the season, so the O’s may not want to transfer him to the injured list until they have some clarity about his timeline.

Scott Effross/Luis Gil/Frankie Montas

Effross is a lock for the Yankees’ injured list as he underwent Tommy John in October and will likely miss the entire 2023 campaign. Gil had the same surgery but in May, which means he’ll likely be out until midseason. The situation with Montas is a bit less clear, as he’s dealing with shoulder inflammation that is expected to keep him out for the first month of the season. Unless he suffers some sort of setback, he probably won’t be placed on the 60-day IL right away.

Shane Baz/Andrew Kittredge

The Rays have a couple of hurlers bound for the IL as Baz underwent Tommy John in September while Kittredge had the same surgery in June. They’re both going to miss the first half of the year, with Baz potentially missing the entire season.

AL Central

Casey Mize/Tarik Skubal

Mize underwent Tommy John surgery in June and should be placed on the Tigers’ IL at some point. Skubal’s case is a bit less certain after he underwent flexor tendon surgery in August. The club hasn’t provided a timeline for his recovery but some recent comparables can give us some idea. Danny Duffy underwent the procedure in October of 2021 and was hoping to return by June of 2022, though a setback prevented him from pitching at all on the year. Matthew Boyd went under the knife for flexor tendon surgery in September of 2021 and didn’t return to a big league mound until September of 2022.

Garrett Crochet/Liam Hendriks

Crochet of the White Sox underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last year but was already stretched out to throwing from 120 feet in November. Whether he’s able to return in the early parts of 2023 or not will depend on his continued progression in that recovery process. In a less conventional situation, Liam Hendriks announced last month that he’s beginning treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s unknown how long his treatment will take but general manager Rick Hahn said they don’t expect updates “prior to Opening Day at the very earliest.”

Chris Paddack/Royce Lewis

Paddack was recently extended by the Twins though he underwent Tommy John in May of last year and likely won’t be ready to return until the middle of the upcoming campaign. Lewis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in June of last year, the second year in a row that he suffered that unfortunate injury. At the time, his recovery timeline was estimated at 12 months, which likely puts him on the shelf until midseason as well.

AL West

Brett Martin

It was reported last month that the Rangers lefty will require shoulder surgery. It was said that the timeline will become more clear in the aftermath of the procedure but he’s likely to miss the entirety of the upcoming season.

NL East

Bryce Harper

The Phillies superstar underwent Tommy John surgery in November and the club has announced they expect him to be out of action until around the All-Star break in July.

Huascar Ynoa/Tyler Matzek

Both these Braves pitchers underwent Tommy John last year, with Ynoa going under the knife in September and Matzek in October. That makes them both long shots for appearing at all this year, but especially not in the first half.

Max Meyer/Anthony Bender/Sixto Sanchez

The Marlins have a couple of arms that will certainly miss time this year and one more that’s a wild card. Meyer and Bender both underwent Tommy John in August and will miss most of the upcoming campaign. Sanchez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in October with the club announcing at that time they expected him back by spring. It was reported last month that Sanchez is already throwing bullpens, which perhaps points against an IL stint. However, after the shoulder issues completely wiped out his 2021 and 2022 seasons, it’s hard to know how much to rely on his health going forward.

Danny Mendick

The Mets signed Mendick after he was non-tendered by the White Sox. The infielder/outfielder tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in June of last year and missed the second half of the season. There haven’t been any updates on his status recently, but further clarity will likely come when camp gets rolling.

Tanner Rainey/Stephen Strasburg

The Nationals have one fairly straightforward case in Tanner Rainey, who underwent Tommy John in August and will likely miss most of the upcoming season. What’s less clear is the situation surrounding Strasburg, who’s hardly pitched at all over the past three years due to thoracic outlet syndrome and various issues seemingly related to that. He made one appearance in the big leagues last year, pitching 4 2/3 in one start in June but went on the IL right after and never returned. He spoke about the issue in September, saying he hadn’t thrown in months and that he is “not really sure what the future holds.”

NL Central

Ethan Roberts/Codi Heuer/Kyle Hendricks

Roberts underwent Tommy John in June and likely won’t be available for the Cubs until midseason. Heuer had TJS in March but the latest reporting suggests he won’t return until June or July. The status of Hendricks is less clear, with the righty trying to recover from a capsular tear in his shoulder. The club is hoping to have him back by Opening Day but also said they won’t rush him. He recently said that he’s expecting to be on a mound by March 1.

Vladimir Gutierrez/Tejay Antone

Gutierrez, a Reds righty, underwent Tommy John in July and should miss the first few months of the upcoming season at least. Antone was rehabbing from a Tommy John of his own when he suffered a flexor strain in his forearm. He announced today he’s received a platelet-rich plasma injection to treat the issue and suggested he might miss the first half of the season.

Max Kranick

The Pirates right-hander required Tommy John in June and will miss the first half of the upcoming campaign.

NL West

Antonio Senzatela/Tyler Kinley

The Rockies have a couple of murky situations on their hands with these hurlers. Senzatela tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last year and required surgery in August. The timeline at that point was given at 6-8 months, which would place his return somewhere in the February-April window. Whether he’ll require a lengthy IL stint will depend on if his recovery is still on that track. Kinley was diagnosed with an elbow strain and a flexor tear in his forearm in June of last year. He underwent surgery in July with the club announcing they expected him to miss one calendar year, which should prevent him from pitching early in the campaign.

Walker Buehler/Blake Treinen/J.P. Feyereisen

The Dodgers have a trio of pitchers that are likely to miss most or perhaps all of the upcoming season. Buehler required Tommy John in August and could potentially return very late in the year. Treinen underwent shoulder surgery in November with an estimated recovery time of 10 months. Feyereisen underwent shoulder surgery in December and won’t be able to begin throwing until four months after that procedure, or around April. His eventual return to game shape will depend on how long it takes him to progress from simply throwing to getting up to full game speed.

Luke Jackson

The Giants signed the right-hander in free agency, despite Jackson undergoing Tommy John in April. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last month that there was a chance Jackson begins the year on the 60-day IL, though that doesn’t seem to indicate any kind of setback. “He’s doing great in his rehab, so we’re going to wait and see how he’s doing in spring training,” Zaidi said.

Looking At The Yankees’ Rotation Depth

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Up until a couple of weeks ago, the Yankees seemed to have an extremely strong group of five starting pitchers. With Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortes and Frankie Montas penciled in, the club had arguably the best rotation in the entire league. Unfortunately, the shoulder issues that plagued Montas last year are still lingering and he is going to miss the first month of the season. They still have an excellent front four but will now have to rely on their depth to start the season. Even if Montas is able to return to health and looks like his old self by May, it’s possible that one of the other four will need a breather and there will be continued opportunities for other pitchers. Teams almost never make it through an entire season using just five or six starters, meaning depth is always important.

Who does the club have on hand that could step up to fill in for Montas or any other injury? Let’s take a look at the options.

Domingo Germán

Germán, 30, is probably the most obvious and straightforward solution. He seemed to establish himself as part of the club’s future rotation in 2019 when he tossed 143 innings with a 4.03 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 38.1% ground ball rate. But in September of that year, he was placed on administrative leave while the league investigated him for domestic violence. He ultimately received an 81-game suspension and flirted with retirement while serving it but ultimately returned.

In 2021, he was able to toss 98 1/3 innings over 18 starts and four relief appearances. He posted a 4.58 ERA while striking out 23.9% of opponents. Last year, shoulder problems sent him to the 60-day injured list in March and he wasn’t reinstated until July. He ultimately made 14 starts and one relief appearance, posting a 3.61 ERA in 72 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate dipped to just 19.5% and opponents hit just .262 on balls in play. That latter number is well below league average but not far off from his career mark of .272. It’s possible that he just has a knack for limiting damage but Statcast data doesn’t support that. He was in the 26th percentile last year in terms of hard hit rate and 25th in average exit velocity, though he was in the 57th for barrel rate. It’s possible that he would struggle to maintain an ERA under 4.00 but he avoids walks and would still be much better than the fifth/sixth starter on most teams.

Clarke Schmidt

Schmidt, 27 next month, was a first round pick of the Yanks in 2017. He pitched well as he moved up the minor league ladder and was considered one of the top 100 prospects in the league by Baseball America in 2020 and 2021. He’s had some brief time in the majors but his overall workload hasn’t been huge over the past couple of years. With the minors being canceled by the pandemic in 2020, he was limited to just 6 1/3 innings of official action in the majors. In 2021, an elbow strain kept him out of action for a while and he was only able to log another 6 1/3 in the bigs along with 38 minor league innings. Last year, he was frequently optioned and recalled, throwing 57 2/3 frames in the majors along with 33 in Triple-A, combining for 90 2/3 on the season.

When healthy enough to take the mound, he’s produced pretty solid results. His 70 1/3 innings at the MLB level have resulted in a 3.71 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 10.7% walk rate and 44.6% ground ball rate. His minor league work has been even better, as he’s posted a 2.71 ERA over 71 innings in the past two years. He struck out out 31% of batters faced and walked 7.1% of them while getting ground balls on about half of balls in play. There are some things to like here but he still has an option whereas Germán doesn’t. Given that fact and his workload concerns, he might get nudged to Triple-A until a need arises.

Deivi García

García, 24 in May, flashed some potential in 2020 when he made six starts with a 4.98 ERA. That number might not jump out, but he was only 21 years old at the time, perhaps pointing to an enticing future with continued development. Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to fruition. In the two subsequent years, he’s only made a couple of big league starts while registering a 6.87 ERA in 154 2/3 minor league innings. He’s still young but he’s now out of options. Given his poor results in recent years, he could be given a long relief role in the bullpen or else designated for assignment.

Luis Gil

Gil, 25 in June, has a 3.78 ERA through his first seven MLB starts but he’s not going to be available for a while. He underwent Tommy John in May of last year and won’t be a realistic candidate until midseason at the earliest. Like García, he’s now out of options and will need to either crack the active roster or else be designated for assignment. He’ll be able to pitch in the minors as part of a rehab assignment once healthy, but it will be decision time once the 30-day rehab period is up.

Randy Vasquez

Vazquez, 24, has spent his entire career with the Yanks thus far, signing with them as an international free agent in 2018. He’s since moved his way up and spent all of last year in Double-A. He made 25 starts at that level, tossing 115 1/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA. He struck out 24.2% of batters faced while walking 8.3% and getting grounders at a 48.3% clip. He was added to the club’s roster in November to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He’s currently considered the club’s #9 prospect at Baseball America but has yet to pitch at the Triple-A level.

Matt Krook

Krook, 28, is a left-hander that was drafted by the Giants but went to the Rays in the Evan Longoria deal. The Yankees grabbed him in the minor league portion of the 2020 Rule 5 draft. He’s since posted some solid results in the upper minors, though the control hasn’t been pinpoint. He spent last year at Triple-A, making 22 starts and seven relief appearances with a 4.09 ERA over 138 2/3 innings. He walked 12.1% of batters faced but struck out 25.7% and got grounders at a 55.7% clip. That was enough for the Yanks to add him to the roster at season’s end to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency.

Jhony Brito

Brito, 25 next month, has spent his entire career in the Yankees’ organization, having been signed by them as an international amateur out of the Dominican Republic. He split last year between Double-A and Triple-A, tossing 112 2/3 innings over 23 starts and three relief appearances. He only struck out 20% of batters faced but kept his walks down to a 7.7% level and got grounders on about half the balls he allowed into play. Like Krook, he was added to the club’s 40-man at the end of the season to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency.

Yoendrys Gomez

Gomez, 23, was an international signee out of Venezuela, agreeing with the Yankees in 2016. He earned his way onto prospect lists over the next few years and got a spot on the 40-man in November of 2020 to protect him from Rule 5 selection. Unfortunately, injuries have limited him over the past couple of seasons. In 2021, he dealt with a shoulder issue and contracted COVID-19, ultimately only making nine starts on the year at Class-A. In 2022, he spent time at various levels and finished the year at Double-A, but was only able to log 47 innings on the year. The results were good, as he posted a 2.49 ERA while striking out 25.7% of batters faced, but it will be hard for him to carry a huge workload after pitching very little in recent years.

Clayton Beeter/Sean Boyle/Mitch Spence/Tanner Tully

None of this group are currently on the 40-man roster, meaning they will face longer odds of contributing this year, though they could always force the club into making room. Beeter is arguably the most exciting of the bunch. Selected 66th overall by the Dodgers in 2020, he was ranked that club’s #12 prospect by Baseball America going into 2022. That was after a 2021 season that saw him post a 3.44 ERA between High-A and Double-A while striking out 36.6% of batters faced. In 2022, his ERA jumped to 5.75 as he walked 14.3% of batters faced, but he was then flipped to the Yankees in the Joey Gallo trade. After the deal, he got his walks down to 10.6% and his ERA to 2.13. He struck out an incredible 37.1% of batters faced on the year between the two teams but only threw 77 innings.

External Addition

If the Yankees feel these depth options aren’t enough, they could always look outside the organization for help. The free agent market still features guys like Michael Wacha, Dylan Bundy and Zack Greinke. In terms of trades, it’s possible the Mariners might be willing to move Marco Gonzales or Chris Flexen. The Brewers are suddenly loaded in rotation options and could theoretically do without Adrian Houser. However, all of those paths come with a complication for the Yankees, who are reportedly leery about crossing the final tier of the competitive balance tax. Roster Resource currently pegs their CBT figure at $292.3MM, just a hair under the final line of $293MM. Making any external addition without making up that difference will be a challenge. Trading the contract of someone like Josh Donaldson or Aaron Hicks would give them some more breathing room but the Yanks haven’t been able to find a deal so far.

Yankees Sign Anthony Banda

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1:23PM: The Yankees officially announced that Banda was signed to a Major League contract.  To create roster space, right-hander Luis Gil (who underwent Tommy John surgery in May) was recalled from the minors and moved to the 60-day injured list.

1:01PM: The Yankees have agreed to a deal with left-hander Anthony Banda.  ESPN’s Marly Rivera was among the reporters to note earlier today that Banda was present in the Yankees’ clubhouse.

With Aroldis Chapman going on the 15-day injured list yesterday, New York quickly filled that void with another left-handed reliever.  Banda joins Wandy Peralta and Lucas Luetge as the southpaw options in an injury-plagued bullpen, though Chapman and Zack Britton are expected to be back at some point in September.

The Yankees will be the ninth different organization of Banda’s career, and he has been action at the MLB level with five of those teams.  That includes a combined 26 innings with the Pirates and Blue Jays this season, with a 5.88 ERA to show for Banda’s 2022 resume.  Advanced metrics paint a much more favorable picture of Banda’s performance than his ERA, as a gigantic .446 BABIP might be to blame for many of Banda’s struggles.

Banda was a notable prospect early in his career before he was waylaid by injuries, and the second act of his career has seen the left-hander now convert to full-time relief pitching.  He has a 4.98 ERA over 59 2/3 innings since the start of the 2021 season, though a 3.90 SIERA in that same span is perhaps a better reflection, given Banda’s lack of batted-ball luck.

Toronto acquired Banda from Pittsburgh in early July, and Banda than chose free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A in early August.  That led to a new minors deal with the Mariners, but he made only four appearances with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate before enacting an opt-out clause earlier this week.

Luis Gil To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced to reporters, including Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, that right-hander Luis Gil will undergo Tommy John surgery. The procedure is set to take place this Tuesday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

This is obviously very disappointing news for both Gil and the team. For Gil personally, the 23-year-old was starting to make his way into the Yankees’ plans, making six starts last year and one this year. Last year, he fared very well over those starts for the club, logging a 3.07 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate, though a concerning 14.7% walk rate. Still, for a depth starter, that’s more than acceptable. He’d been struggling so far this year, with a 7.89 ERA over six Triple-A starts, though he was still racking up strikeouts at a 30.1% pace.

Gil is in his final option year, meaning he will be out of options next year. Therefore, once he’s made his way back from this surgery, he won’t be able to be sent to the minors without first being exposed to waivers. Gil was in the minors when injured and won’t accrue service time while rehabbing from the injury. However, he will still occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Should the Yankees have need to add someone else to the roster in the future, they could open up a spot by moving Gil to the MLB 60-day injured list. However, doing so would entitle Gil to MLB pay and service time for the remainder of the year. He came into this season with 33 days of service time and added just a single day to that when making a spot start earlier this year.

For the team, they are now without their sixth starter. They have enjoyed remarkable health with the front five members of their rotation, as Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jameson Taillon and Luis Severino have made all of the club’s starts, outside of that single spot start from Gil. An entire rotation staying healthy for a full season is essentially unheard of, meaning the Yanks will surely need to use another depth starter at some point. Even if they are remarkably healthy, the schedule will occasionally require a fresh arm. For instance, last night’s game was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow. That means the Yankees are going to be playing ten games in the next nine days. Assuming the club doesn’t want to have any of their front five pitching on short rest at this stage of the season, they will need a spot start from somewhere.

Other options on the 40-man roster include Deivi Garcia, JP Sears and Luis Medina. Medina is unlikely to get serious consideration, as he’s in Double-A and has an ERA of 5.00 at the moment, having walked 17.9% of batters faced on the year so far. Garcia has eight MLB starts under his belt from 2020 and 2021, but has a whopping 9.17 ERA in Triple-A this year, with his strikeouts down to 16.5% and his walks up to 15.4%. Sears could be a legitimate option, with his 0.53 ERA in Triple-A so far, though in a small sample of just 17 innings. Looking to the active roster, Clarke Schmidt could perhaps transition from the bullpen to the rotation. He’s been working as a long man this year, logging 11 innings in five appearances with a 0.82 ERA.

Boone: Luis Gil Dealing With “Significant” Arm Injury

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Yankees right-hander Luis Gil exited his most recent minor league appearance when he grabbed his right arm and called for the trainer, and the ominous nature of that scene was reflected today when skipper Aaron Boone addressed the media. Boone told reporters that team physician Chris Ahmad had examined Gil, and while additional opinions were being sought, the injury looks to be “significant” (link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).

The 23-year-old Gil has only made one appearance with the Yankees so far in 2022, yielding four runs in four innings of work. However, he was an important late-season call-up in 2021, when he made six starts and totaled 29 1/3 innings of 3.07 ERA ball with 38 strikeouts. Gil’s 19 walks were far too many in such a short period, but for a 23-year-old rookie it was a nevertheless impressive debut.

The Yankees have had good health in their rotation so far, with each of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, Jameson Taillon and out-of-the-blue breakout Nestor Cortes Jr. holding up and throwing well. Domingo German is currently on the shelf owing to shoulder woes, but it’s been a generally healthy and effective year for the Yanks’ rotation, which ranks second in the Majors with a composite 2.99 ERA. Still, the ostensible loss of Gil robs the organization of perhaps its top depth option.

Then again, Gil has struggled mightily in Triple-A Scranton this year, logging a 7.89 ERA across six outings. He’s still missing bats at a high level (30.1% strikeout rate), but Gil has walked 14.6% of his opponents in Triple-A and yielded six homers in 21 2/3 frames (2.49 HR/9). The extent to which the current arm injury has fueled those poor results can’t be known — it’s possible he’d been pitching through pain before reaching a tipping point on that last offering — but it’s been a struggle for him this season, to say the least.

The Yankees will likely have further details on Gil’s status in the coming days, but the mere mention of “working through opinions” and a “significant” injury obviously suggests that he won’t be an option for the big league club anytime in the near future. With Gil sidelined, the top minor league depth options on the 40-man roster would be Deivi Garcia, JP Sears and Luis Medina. Garcia, once considered one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, had a dismal season in Triple-A last year and has allowed more runs than innings pitched so far in 2022. Sears has had a strong showing with Scranton, while Medina has struggled at the Double-A level.

Yankees Notes: Green, Gil, Judge

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2:55pm: Boone provided nebulous but worrisome updates on each of Green and Gil this afternoon (via Max Goodman and Laura Albanese of Newsday). Gil’s injury is “significant,” per Boone, who didn’t specify whether surgery may be on the table. The organization fears Green could also be facing a notable absence but is awaiting further tests.

12:04pm: Yankees reliever Chad Green left yesterday’s loss to the Orioles after just 11 pitches, and the team later announced he’d experienced some forearm discomfort (via Brendan Kuty of NJ.com). They’ll know more upon receiving the results of an MRI today, and Green conceded postgame that he’s “concerned about it to a certain extent” (quote via Erik Boland of Newsday). “Obviously, when you’re dealing with an arm injury, you’re not really sure what can happen or what’s really going on. We’ll get it checked out … and go from there.”

Even if the imaging results are good, it seems a precautionary injured list stint could be on the table. That’s unfamiliar territory for Green, who hasn’t landed on the IL since his 2016 season was cut short by a forearm tendon problem. The right-hander returned the following year seemingly no worse for wear, and he’s been one of the game’s predominant bullpen workhorses in the half-decade since then. Going back to the start of the 2017 season, only four relievers have taken on a heavier workload — and that’s not counting the 15 starts Green made in 2019.

He owns a sterling 2.87 ERA as a reliever over that stretch, striking out a lofty 33.1% of opposing hitters while showcasing atypically excellent control (5.9% walk rate) for a late-game arm. Skipper Aaron Boone has deployed Green as a high-leverage stopper throughout that run, often to great success. His strikeout and walk numbers haven’t been dominant over 15 frames this season, but Green owns a flat 3.00 ERA and a 14.5% swinging strike rate that isn’t far off his prior years’ marks.

More out of the Bronx:

  • New York is also dealing with some injury concerns at the minor league level. Prospect Luis Gil pulled himself from Wednesday night’s Triple-A start after experiencing an elbow injury (h/t to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette). Yesterday, Boone told reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) that Gil was set for a visit with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. As with Green, more information will be known upon further testing, but Gil is a key depth arm for the Yankees. The 23-year-old made his first six MLB starts last season, posting a 3.07 ERA across 29 1/3 innings. He hasn’t performed well thus far in 2022 with their top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, struggling with both walks and home runs en route to a 7.89 ERA over six starts. Nevertheless, Gil was called up for a spot start against the White Sox last week. He’s the only pitcher outside the primary five of Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon to start a game for New York this season.
  • In non-injury matters, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN takes a look at how Aaron Judge’s incredible start to the season could impact his free agent trajectory. Obviously, posting a .307/.381/.664 line through his first 36 games will help Judge’s market value, but there aren’t many clean comparison points for a player with his profile hitting the market in advance of his age-31 season. Judge famously rejected the Yankees’ seven-year, $213.5MM extension offer in Spring Training, and McDaniel feels he’d be in line to top $250MM if he continues to perform at a career-best pace. McDaniel also floats some possible landing spots if Judge were to leave the Bronx, hearing from rival executives who speculate that the Mets might relish the opportunity to make a run at the three-time All-Star.

Yankees Place DJ LeMahieu On Injured List

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The Yankees are placing infielder DJ LeMahieu on the injured list with a sports hernia, according to manager Aaron Boone, as relayed by several reporters, including Marly Rivera of ESPN. LeMahieu last played September 30th, missing the past few games with the injury, meaning the soonest he could return to the club would be if they qualified for the ALCS. Right-handed pitcher Luis Gil is taking his spot on the active roster.

This is very unfortunate timing for the Yankees, as they are currently trying to wriggle out of a four-team logjam for the two American League Wild Card spots. They and the Red Sox are going into the final scheduled day of the season just one game ahead of the Blue Jays and Mariners in the standings. With the potential for various one-game tiebreakers and then the Wild Card game itself, each team will be taking an all-hands-on-deck approach in order to survive. Boone says, as relayed by Rivera in a separate tweet, that LeMahieu worked out today before the very late decision was made. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com quotes Boone as saying LeMahieu is “too compromised” to play right now.

It’s been a disappointing season for the 33-year-old, perhaps because of the injury. In his first Yankees contract, over 2019 and 2020, LeMahieu hit an excellent .336/.386/.536, which amounts to a wRC+ of 146, all while having the versatility of playing multiple positions around the infield. On the heels of that excellent performance, the Yankees re-signed LeMahieu to a six-year, $90MM contract in the most recent offseason. Unfortunately, the first year of the deal has seen LeMahieu’s production drop off to a line of .268/.349/.362, a wRC+ of 100. Nevertheless, that league-average production being put on the shelf is still a loss for the club. Rougned Odor is slotting into third base for the Yanks today, and he has a 2021 slash line of .201/.286/.379, wRC+ of just 82.

As for Gil, he adds another arm to the Yankees’ stable at a time when they might need a lot of them over the next few days. In six starts at the big league level this year, he’s logged 29 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.07. He’s likely to be used as a long-relief option, though, as Jameson Taillon is starting today’s game, with Gerrit Cole the planned starter for whatever game the Yankees play next, be that some kind of tie-breaker or the Wild Card game.

AL Roster Notes: Yankees, Rays, Angels, Rangers

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The Yankees optioned Luis Gil to Triple-A after today’s ballgame, per the team. A corresponding move is likely to follow tomorrow. Gil started today’s game, an 11-3 loss to Cleveland. Though today’s outing ended poorly, Gil had given the Yanks five very strong starts. He logged a 2.88 ERA/3.96 FIP in 25 innings heading into today’s ballgame.

Let’s check in on some other roster moves made today around the Junior Circuit…

  • The Rays optioned righty Joey Krehbiel to Triple-A today after making his Rays’ debut, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The move is likely a precursor to the call-up of top prospect Shane Baz, whose debut is scheduled for Monday. Krehbiel, 28, tossed a scoreless inning today, striking out two while walking one.
  • The Angels demoted yesterday’s starter Jhonathan Diaz to Triple-A, recalling Cooper Criswell in his place, the team announced. Diaz made his Major League debut last night, giving up two earned runs on two hits and four walks while striking out two over 1 2/3 innings. Criswell made his own debut under similar circumstances earlier this year, giving up three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in his lone start on the year.
  • The Rangers have sent Matt Bush out on a rehab assignment to Triple-A, per the team. Bush has been on the shelf since April 8 with a right elbow flexor strain. He made just three appearances in what had been his first big league action since 2018. The 35-year-old former first overall draft pick has 139 career appearances – all with the Rangers – and a 3.47 ERA/3.88 FIP over 140 career innings.

Yankees Activate Luke Voit, Place Anthony Rizzo On COVID-IL

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11:30AM: The Yankees have also recalled Luis Gil as a replacement player and optioned Nick Nelson to Triple-A, per a club announcement.

9:51AM: The Yankees have activated Luke Voit and placed Anthony Rizzo on the COVID-IL. Manager Aaron Boone says Rizzo has tested positive, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. He also is exhibiting some symptoms. As a positive test, he will be quarantined for at least 10 days.

The Yankees are now further hampered by an ongoing COVID outbreak that has already seen them place Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery and Gary Sanchez on the IL in recent days. Since being acquired in a deal just before the deadline, Rizzo has had an excellent debut as a Yankee. In nine games, he’s slashed .281/.400/.563, for a wRC+ of 163.

The club will now turn to Voit and hope that he can return to last year’s excellent form. His wRC+ of 152 in 2020 was one of the best in the league. But 2021 has been a struggle so far, with a wRC+ of 98 while dealing with various injuries. The club reportedly nearly traded Voit after acquiring Rizzo, but the deal fell through at the last hour. After a knee injury in July, he had only started a rehab assignment a few days ago. But it seems Rizzo’s positive test has hastened his return.

Despite scrambling to cover for all of these players missing time, the team is on a hot streak and currently just 1 1/2 out of a playoff spot.

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