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Aaron Judge

Yankees Notes: Outfield, Judge, Loaisiga

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The Yankees shuffled their outfield mix today, optioning Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero to the Triple-A while activating Greg Allen and Jake Bauers from the 10-day injured list. Bauers has been out since the beginning of the month with a rotator cuff contusion, while Allen has been on the shelf since early June with a strained right hip flexor.

The club is surely hoping the duo can help revitalize a beleaguered Yankees offense that has delivered a wRC+ of just 84 that ranks bottom four in the majors since star slugger Aaron Judge went on the injured list back in June. In 49 games this season, Bauers has slashed .224/.312/.470 with a solid wRC+ of 114 despite a strikeout rate nearing 30% thanks to a fantastic .246 ISO. Allen, meanwhile got into just 10 games with the Yankees before his trip to the IL. While he posted an excellent wRC+ of 138 during that limited time, a 41.2% strikeout rate and measly .162 xwOBA indicate that production is unsustainable. Nonetheless, Allen can nonetheless provide the Yankees with a switch-hitting outfielder with speed and quality defense off the bench.

The return of Bauers in particular could help provide the club’s lineup with a boost prior to the August 1 trade deadline, which is just over a week away. That being said, it goes without saying that the Yankees are going to need their $360MM man back to have any hope of turning around a season that’s seen them sink to fourth pace in the AL East despite a decent 52-47 record. To that end, the fans received good news today as Judge took live batting practice this morning from right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga, as relayed by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Judge had previously been reported as “close” to a return, but today’s exercise represents an additional step forward as he works his way back from the torn toe ligament that has kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months.

Loaisiga, himself, has been out for nearly three months since undergoing elbow surgery to remove a bone spur back in May. That he’s progressed to the point of facing live hitting represents a step forward in the rehab process for him, as well. The next step for Loaisiga appears to be a rehab assignment, which The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner relays could begin next weekend, per manager Aaron Boone. Despite the Yankees sporting an MLB-best bullpen ERA of 3.21 this season, a healthy and effective return from Loasigia, who sports a 3.04 ERA and 3.31 FIP in 145 innings of work since the beginning of the 2020 campaign, could provide a major boost to the Yankees down the stretch.

Yankees Notes: Judge, Deadline Approach, Florial

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The Yankees have dropped three straight games and have now tallied just two victories in their past 10 contests. Sitting in the unfamiliar setting of last place in the American League East, there are mounting questions about the team’s trade deadline approach. It would be out of character, to say the least, for the Yankees to engineer a wide-scale selloff at the deadline. And with New York still only two and a half games back from an AL Wild Card spot, that seems decidedly unlikely.

That said, the Yankees also have a porous roster, particularly with Aaron Judge on the injured list and facing a nebulous timeline for his return. General manager Brian Cashman said yesterday that it’s fair to characterize Judge’s return as “close” before taking a noncommittal stance on whether that constituted a matter of days or weeks (link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). It remains unclear when the reigning AL MVP will return to the lineup; the Yankees are hitting .223/.294/.374 as a team in his absence.

With the team reeling and currently in the AL East cellar, there have naturally been calls from the fans for the Yankees to sell at the deadline, a possibility that was discussed on the most recent episode of the MLBTR Podcast. At least to some extent, that could wind up being the case. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote this morning that the Yankees could work to dip under the top tier of the luxury tax in over the next couple weeks. Presumably, that’d come by dealing away short-term players — those who’ll reach free agency at season’s end or perhaps those controlled only through the 2024 season.

At least with regard to their crop of impending free agents, however, that could be easier said than done. Luis Severino has struggled to a 6.66 ERA in 48 2/3 innings thus far, and the underlying metrics don’t give much cause for optimism. His 17.4% strikeout rate is a career-low, and his 9.4% walk rate is the second-highest of his career. He’s averaged 2.22 homers per nine innings pitched, yielding hard contact at the highest rate of his career, and is sitting on career-low swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates.

Utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, meanwhile, is hitting just .251/.309/.369. That’s 11% worse than average, by measure of wRC+. Acquired to be a stopgap at shortstop, Kiner-Falefa has just eight innings at that position in 2023 and has been used primarily as an outfielder this season. Defensive metrics haven’t provided a strong review of his glovework there, however.

Center fielder Harrison Bader is also a free agent at season’s end and is playing his customary brand of standout defense. However, his .275 on-base percentage also ranks 295th of the 326 players with at least 150 plate appearances this season. His overall .246/.275/.427 batting line checks in below average.

Frankie Montas, of course, hasn’t thrown a pitch this season. Trading any of Severino ($15MM in 2023), Montas ($7.5MM), Kiner-Falefa ($6MM) or Bader ($4.7MM) could be enough to dip the Yankees under the top tier of luxury penalization, as Roster Resource currently has them at $294.1MM — just $1.1MM over the limit.

The most palatable rental option for the Yankees to trade would be southpaw Wandy Peralta, who’s earning $3.35MM this season. He’s currently sporting a 2.48 ERA, but his 19.5% strikeout rate is below average and his 13.6% walk rate is an obvious eyesore. Still, Peralta is averaging just shy of 96 mph on his heater and also possesses a huge 63.2% ground-ball rate.

Rosenthal speculates on the possibility of a Gleyber Torres trade, which could simultaneously fetch more talent in return and also trim payroll more than any of those rentals aside from Severino. He’s earning $9.95MM in 2023 and hitting a solid .264/.333/.430 with 14 homers. The Yankees also have an in-house, MLB-ready alternative in young Oswald Peraza, who struggled in the Majors earlier but is slashing a .261/.352/.495 in Triple-A.

Looking at the situation as a whole, however, the final tax barrier is an odd line to draw in the sand. It’s a purely monetary line of penalization, and the Yankees are only narrowly north of it. The Yankees already committed to having their top pick in next year’s draft pushed back by 10 places when they exceeded the third tier of penalty, which sits at $273MM.

Striving to dip under that threshold would perhaps be logical but also unrealistic; trimming more than $21MM from the remaining payroll at this juncture of the season would be immensely difficult. Trades at this stage would only spare the Yankees the remainder those players’ salaries. That’s roughly $5.3MM on Severino, $1.7MM on Bader, $2.1MM on Kiner-Falefa, $1.2MM on Peralta and $3.5MM on Torres. Even trading that entire quintet would only get the Yankees about two-thirds of the way there.

None of that even takes into consideration the possibility of the Yankees simultaneously adding pieces, either. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted earlier in the week that in addition to the Yankees’ desire to upgrade in the outfield, they’ve been monitoring the catching, starting pitching and bullpen markets. That wide swath of needs speaks to the predicament in which the Yankees currently find themselves, but it’s notable that as of Monday the team appeared set on — or at least open to adding some pieces. Both Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson and Rockies outfielder Randal Grichuk have been of some interest to the Yankees, per Feinsand. Carlson, controlled through 2026, would be an affordable and long-term solution in the outfield.

The Yankees potentially have another affordable and controllable option down in Triple-A, where former top prospect Estevan Florial has put together a huge season. Designated for assignment on Opening Day and unclaimed on waivers, Florial has batted .291/.388/.535 with an already career-high 21 homers in just 335 plate appearances.

That production hasn’t been enough to get him a look in the big leagues, however. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic took a look at Florial’s situation, speaking to Triple-A skipper Shelley Duncan and others about the 25-year-old’s work ethic and motivation in the wake of that DFA and subsequent outright. It’s frankly surprising that the Yankees have continued to lean on journeymen Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, Franchy Cordero and the aforementioned Kiner-Falefa in the outfield rather than give Florial some type of audition. Kuty suggests the team could look to trade him at the deadline, which could be a means of adding help in another area.

Broadly speaking, it’s strange to be discussing the Yankees in this context. They’re typically a motivated buyer at the trade deadline, one that has often acted aggressively and decisively in an effort to tighten their existing grip on a postseason spot. It’s a different feel in the Bronx this season, however, and various, simultaneous reports regarding payroll reduction, selling off short-term players and the possibility to add at virtually any spot on the roster only underscore the uncertainty surrounding the team.

We increasingly see modern front offices toe the line between “buyer” and “seller,” making moves in both directions in a given deadline season. The Yankees appear poised for such a hybrid approach to the ’23 deadline, though their play in the next couple weeks will surely prove instructive as well. If they’re able to right the ship and go on a winning streak of any note, Cashman & Co. could be emboldened to make moves that fall closer to the win-now side of the scale. Should the pendulum swing in the other direction, there’d be more urgency to take a step back and employ a longer-term focus.

The Yankees have one more game in Anaheim, where they’ve already lost two, before returning home to host struggling Royals and Mets teams for a combined five games. They’ll then head to Baltimore for three games and have one game against the division-leading Rays before the deadline rolls around. Their performance against a pair of sub-.500 teams on that homestand and in the subsequent four games against the top two teams in their own division will be worth watching with a careful eye; every win or loss is crucial at this point.

Yankees Place Josh Donaldson On Injured List

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The Yankees announced earlier today that third baseman Josh Donaldson had been placed on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. In a corresponding move, infielder Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A.

It’s been a difficult year of Donaldson, who missed nearly two months with a right hamstring strain and has struggled at the plate even when healthy, with a .142/.225/.434 slash line in 120 plate appearances, good for a wRC+ of just 75. Those brutal offense numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Donaldson has still managed to hit for power with an impressive .292 ISO and a whopping 19.7% barrel rate. Additionally, the veteran sports a microscopic BABIP of .076 that is surely contributing to his woeful batting average. While some of that can be explained by a career-low 7.9% line drive rate, it seems reasonable to expect that Donaldson’s performance would level out over time with more of his batted balls falling in for hits.

Unfortunately for Donaldson, any hopes of turning his season around will have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future as he heads to the shelf with a calf injury. A timetable for Donaldson’s return has not been made available, but the veteran infielder has dealt with calf issues previously in his career, including missing a month with a right calf strain in 2020 with the Twins and left calf issues that limited him to just sixteen games after the end of May in 2018.

Replacing Donaldson on the roster is Peraza, who entered the 2023 campaign as a top-50 prospect in the sport. In 12 games in the majors this season the 23 year old has managed a slash line of just .188/.316/.219, though he’s posted a much stronger .261/.352/.495 line in 45 games at the Triple-A level. Though he’s yet to receive an extended opportunity at the big league level, it’s possible that’s about to change, as Aaron Boone told reporters (including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic) that “there should be plenty of playing time for him” around the infield, with Peraza able to play both second and third base in addition to his natural position of shortstop.

In more positive injury news, GM Brian Cashman told MLBNetwork’s Jim Bowden on the radio today that star outfielder Aaron Judge is making progress in his rehab, with things “moving in the right direction” regarding both his hitting and his running. While no specific timetable for return was addressed, Cashman noted that the club will have a better idea of when Judge will be ready to return to action after the club’s current road trip, which is set to end on Friday.

The possibility of Judge nearing a return is phenomenal news for the Yankees, who have gone just 15-18 since losing the reigning AL MVP at the start of June. In 49 games this season, Judge has slashed a sensational .291/.404/.674 that’s good for a whopping 188 wRC+. With Judge on the shelf, the club is currently relying on the likes of Isiah-Kiner Falefa, Billy McKinney, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Franchy Cordero in the outfield corners with Giancarlo Stanton at DH and Harrison Bader in center field.

MLB Announces 2023 All-Star Rosters

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The starters for the 2023 All-Star Game were already announced earlier this week, and today the league revealed the reserve selections and the pitching staffs for the National League and American League teams.  Fan balloting determined the game’s starters, while the reserves and pitchers were picked by a combination of the player ballot and selections from the league office.

This won’t be the final list of players involved, as some more substitutions will be announced later for players who are injured or who have opted not to participate.  Every team must have at least one player represented at the Midsummer Classic, and the starting pitchers for the game will be announced on July 10.

Of note, Shohei Ohtani will be in the game as both a DH and as a pitcher for the third consecutive season.  The Braves led all teams with eight All-Stars, while the Rangers weren’t far behind with six players chosen.  This year’s All-Star Game takes place in Seattle on July 11.

National League

American League

MLB Announces 2023 All-Star Starters

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Major League Baseball announced the starting lineups for the 2023 All-Star Game this evening. This year’s All-Star Game will take place at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on July 11. The starting pitchers and reserves will be announced at a later date.

American League

National League

* Currently on injured list with sprained toe

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Angels Trade for Infielders, Indecisive NL Central Teams and Aaron Judge’s Toe

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • The Angels acquired Eduardo Escobar from the Mets and Mike Moustakas from the Rockies (1:25)
  • The Pirates and Cubs and Cardinals are thinking about their respective trade deadline approaches (7:20)
  • The Yankees’ hopes are hanging on Aaron Judge’s toe (16:05)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • How do you think the Red Sox will approach the deadline? Will they try to toe the line like last season (which did not work)? (18:50)
  • I would like to know what you think the Padres are going to do? They have numerous holes in that lineup, they are selling out game after game at home? You think major trades forthcoming? Or what? (22:40)
  • What do you think are the chances that the Braves trade Vaughn Grissom at the deadline? What caliber of player do you believe a package built around Grissom would bring in? (25:35)

Check out our past episodes!

Aaron Judge Suffering From Torn Ligament In Big Toe

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12:44PM: Judge discussed his injury with Hoch (Twitter links) and other reporters, saying “It’s not going to be perfect here in a couple of weeks.  Once we can manage the pain, we’re going to be in a good spot….I don’t think too many people in here have torn a ligament in their toe.  If it was a quad, we’d have a better answer.  If it’s an oblique or hamstring, we have answers and a timeline for that.  With how unique this injury is, and it being my back foot, which I push off of and run off of, it’s a tough spot.”

12:26PM: Aaron Judge suffered what was thought to be a sprained right big toe and a bruise when he crashed into the concrete support beam under the Dodger Stadium right-field bullpen door on June 3, while making a spectacular catch.  Judge hasn’t played since, and while he has reportedly been making steady progress in his recovery, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was non-committal about predicting when Judge might return.

Another detail has now come from Judge himself, who told reporters (including Newsday’s Erik Boland and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) that his injury included a torn toe ligament, not just a sprain.  Judge is still feeling pain when he walks, and while he might be starting some limited baseball-related activities soon, he won’t yet be able to run until he can at least walk without discomfort.

While this is new information to the public, it obviously isn’t a surprise to the team, so it isn’t clear if this materially changes whatever very loose timeline might be in place for Judge to return to New York’s lineup.  Boone suggested that Judge could get back to action before the All-Star break, and that might appear to be a best-case scenario given how relatively far away Judge seems to be from truly ramping up his rehab work.

Speaking with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters today, Boone said he believes Judge will be back before the end of the 2023 season, though he didn’t guarantee it.  As ominous as this sounds, Boone may have been holding back on linguistic grounds (since a guarantee is “an absolute.  I can’t say that about anyone.”) rather than out of genuine concern over a truly long-term injury to the reigning AL MVP.  That said, it is certainly disconcerting that there’s even a slim chance Judge’s toe injury might bring a premature end to his season.

The Yankees have a mediocre 6-10 record since Judge’s last game, with a league-worst 66 wRC+.  Considering that severe lack of offense, a 6-10 record might actually be an achievement, and the Yankees have remained in a wild card spot due to some struggles from other AL playoff contenders.  Needless to say, New York’s chances of staying in the playoff race will be heavily diminished if Judge can’t get back to the field soon, given his outsized role in carrying the Yankee lineup.

Yankees Place Willie Calhoun On IL With Quad Strain

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The Yankees announced today that outfielder Willie Calhoun has been placed on the 10-day injured due to a left quad strain. Infielder/outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera was recalled in the corresponding move.

Calhoun, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees this winter and had his contract selected just over a week into the season. Since then, he’s received 149 plate appearances in 44 games. He’s kept his strikeout rate to a 13.4% level while walking at a 9.4% clip. His .239/.309/.403 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 96, indicating he’s been 4% worse than the league average hitter.

That might not sound like a significant loss, but it actually could be for the scuffling Yankees. They have dealt with injuries to a number of players, including superstar Aaron Judge, who has been out of action for almost three weeks now. Several other players have also dealt with their own injuries or underperformance. Aside from Judge, the only other Yankees to have produced a higher wRC+ than Calhoun in more plate appearances are Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres. The team’s collective wRC+ of 96 is right in line with Calhoun’s and places them 19th out of the 30 clubs in the league.

The Yankees haven’t yet made any announcements about how long they expect Calhoun to be out, but it seems there’s a decent chance it won’t be a minimum stint of 10 days. The outfielder told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that he felt his quad “pop” while running to first base in yesterday’s game. He’s going for an MRI today and will be receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in the coming days. There should be more specificity forthcoming but it seems the issue is potentially significant.

As for Judge, manager Aaron Boone provided an update today to members of the media, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Judge made an excellent catch at Dodger Stadium on June 3, crashing into the right field bullpen gate and hitting his foot on the concrete pad beneath. He was diagnosed with a bruise and ligament sprain in his right big toe and is coming up on three weeks of missed time. Boone says Judge has now advanced to pool/balance/strength work and could resume throwing and light hitting in the coming days. That seems to be encouraging progress but there’s still not much clarity on his timeline.

He’s following up his MVP campaign with yet another excellent performance here in 2023, having hit .291/.404/.674 for a wRC+ of 189. However, that production has come in just 49 games since he missed time earlier with a hip strain and now this toe issue. As mentioned, the club’s offense has been subpar overall this year but they are still in the postseason hunt. They currently sport a 41-33 record, enough for them to currently be in possession of a Wild Card spot, though each of the Astros, Angels and Blue Jays are within one game in the standings.

Latest On Aaron Judge

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Aaron Judge hasn’t played since June 3, when the Yankees superstar made a highlight-reel catch that sent him crashing through Dodger Stadium’s right field bullpen door.  Judge sprained his right big toe while colliding with the concrete base under the bullpen door, and after two weeks on the sidelines, it remains unclear when Judge might return from the 10-day injured list.

After Judge received a PRP injection on June 6, the outfielder got another shot focused on a different ligament on Thursday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  “Any time you strain or tear the ligaments, it takes time to heal that, honestly.  PRPs hopefully speed that process up,” Boone said.  “Hopefully he’s continuing to move in the right direction.  We feel like he was, but that other part of the joint or of the toe…was still giving him problems after the first PRP.  To get in and hit the other parts of it, hopefully is something that speeds [the process].”

Range-of-motion exercises are the next step on Judge’s rehab plan, and further steps towards baseball activities remain fluid, as the Yankees are naturally being cautious.  Owner Hal Steinbrenner said earlier this week that Judge’s sprain was “like a turf toe,” and “a rare injury for a baseball player…I think it’s common in football probably with running backs.”

Kuty spoke with Dr. Spencer Stein of NYU Langone Health about Judge’s injury, and while Stein hasn’t personally examined the outfielder, the orthopedic surgeon said that a second PRP injection isn’t particular unusual for such an injury.  Stein suggested that Judge could be back by mid-July, though Boone provided a broader range of potential return dates.

First saying “there’s a shot” that Judge could return before the All-Star break, Boone added that “he could be back in a week.  He could be back in four.  I don’t know.  We’ve got to get to a point where we’re starting to move the ball from a physical activity or baseball standpoint.”

It’s no secret that Judge is the cornerstone of the Yankees roster, and the last two weeks have only underscored his importance to the lineup.  From June 4 to June 16, Yankee batters have hit a collective .205/.264/.361, with a 71 wRC+ that ranks as the third-worst in baseball during that span.

Some reinforcements may be on the way in the form of Harrison Bader, though Bader opted to extend his minor league rehab stint probably through the weekend.  As Boone told the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips and other reporters, Bader wanted more than just one rehab game to ensure that his right hamstring strain was fully healed.  Bader was placed on the IL on May 29, and between this absence and a left oblique strain that cost him over the first month of the season, the outfielder has played in only 26 games this season (hitting .267/.295/.511 with six home runs in 95 plate appearances).

On the pitching side, Carlos Rodon is slated to begin his minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Between a forearm strain and then a back problem, Rodon has yet to make his Yankee debut since joining the club on a six-year, $162MM free agent deal in December.  Early July is Rodon’s target date, as Boone said the plan is for Rodon to make three rehab outings with steadily increasing pitch counts.

Yankees Select Billy McKinney

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The Yankees announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Billy McKinney. He will take the active roster spot of Aaron Judge, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right great toe sprain. That move was reported on last night and is retroactive to June 4. To open a spot for McKinney on the 40-man roster, right-hander Ryan Weber was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

McKinney, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees this winter and has been having a great season in Triple-A thus far. He’s walked in 13.8% of his plate appearances while striking out at a 20% clip. He has nine home runs and is slashing .274/.388/.511 for a wRC+ of 127.

However, minor league success is nothing new for McKinney. He has developed a pattern of raking in Triple-A and then scuffling in the majors, with various clubs around the league giving him chances that he’s failed to take advantage of. Dating back to 2018, he’s played for the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers and Athletics. He’s received 768 plate appearances in the big leagues but hit just .206/.277/.387 in those for a wRC+ of 77. His minor league slash line in that same time frame is .261/.359/.498 for a wRC+ of 123.

He’ll now get another shot to succeed in the show, which has been spurred on the Yankees’ outfield mix dealing with various injuries. Harrison Bader and Greg Allen were already on the injured list and now Judge is joining them, subtracting three options from the center field depth chart. McKinney is capable of playing all three outfield spots and first base, so will give them a bit of versatile depth alongside players like Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Giancarlo Stanton.

McKinney is out of options and can’t be sent back down to the minors without being exposed to waivers first. Even in that case, he’d have the right to elect free agency since he has a previous career outright. If he finally manages to break out against big league pitching, the Yankees could keep him around for quite a while via arbitration. He would cross three years of service time this year if he stays up and would be slated for free agency after 2026 if he continued to justify his roster spot.

As for Weber, he was placed on the injured list on the weekend due to a forearm strain. There’s still no official word on what’s next for him but the fact that he’s been transferred to the 60-day IL isn’t a good sign. He’ll now be ineligible until the first week of August at the earliest.

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