Yankees Notes: Judge, Deadline Approach, Florial
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.
Carlos Rodón To Begin Rehab Assignment
The Yankees announced that left-hander Carlos Rodón has been sent to Double-A Somerset to begin a rehab assignment. Additionally, outfielder Harrison Bader was activated from the injured list, taking the spot of infielder/outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera, who was optioned following Sunday night’s game.
Rodón, 30, became a Yankee this winter by signing a six-year, $162MM contract but has yet to make his regular season debut in pinstripes. He was diagnosed with a forearm strain in March and began the season on the injured list. He initially seemed set for a brief absence, as he started working his way back in April. However, he was then waylaid by some back tightness that was eventually diagnosed by doctors as being a “chronic” issue.
In early May, the lefty received a cortisone injection and has been ramping up his activities since then. He started throwing shortly after that, eventually progressing to mound work and facing live hitters. Now he’s set for the final hurdle, pitching in minor league games. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last up to 30 days, so it might still be a few weeks before he rejoins the Yankees. But it’s nonetheless a good sign that their big offseason pitching acquisition is getting closer.
Health has been a key factor in Rodón’s career. He was drafted by the White Sox with the third overall pick in 2014 and quickly became one of the top prospects in the sport. He performed well in 2015 and 2016 but then injuries started holding him back. Biceps bursitis and arthroscopic shoulder surgery made him miss big parts of his 2017 and 2018 seasons before Tommy John surgery wiped out most of his 2019 and 2020 campaigns.
The trajectory got much better in the years after that, as he came back in 2021 with 24 starts and a 2.37 ERA. He was eventually shut down with some shoulder fatigue in August, but it was nonetheless encouraging after so many frustrating setbacks. He became a free agent and there was still some hesitation from the open market, forcing him to settle for a two-year, $44MM deal with the Giants, though one that would allow him to opt out as long as he pitched 110 innings. He took another step forward by making 31 starts last year with a 2.88 ERA, 33.4% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate and 34.1% ground ball rate.
Based on that strong platform, it was an easy decision for him to opt out and cash in. Since he seemed to be moving away from his injury-prone label, the Yankees took a shot on him but his health hasn’t cooperated thus far. He’s now walking a familiar road, working his way back to the mound after a significant absence.
His return would certainly be a welcome development for the Yankees, who have also been without Frankie Montas all year while Nestor Cortes posted a 5.16 ERA before landing on the injured list himself. Luis Severino is back with the team after his own IL stint but he has a 6.30 ERA through his first six starts. Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán have avoided the IL thus far, though Germán missed a couple of turns due to a sticky stuff suspension. Amid all of those challenges, the club has had to turn to depth options like Randy Vásquez and Jhony Brito on occasion.
Despite all of that shuffling, the club has managed to tread water, currently sporting a record of 39-33 that’s good enough for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. But with three teams within a game and a half and a few more clubs lurking just behind those, the importance of each game is going to be magnified going forward, making the return of a difference-maker like Rodón a potentially significant boost for the Yankees.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Manoah, Bader, Fleming, Kittredge
The Red Sox are looking to acquire an infielder who can play multiple positions, MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam writes, with a focus on the middle infield. McAdam notes that Aledmys Diaz‘s name has “been linked to the Red Sox,” though it isn’t clear how deep talks might be between the Sox and Athletics. Diaz is struggling through a tough season (.208/.266/.264 over 173 plate appearances) but he is also an experienced player who could help a Boston infield that is still trying to figure itself out, particularly at shortstop until Trevor Story is healthy. That said, Diaz’s contract is hefty enough that he would be more than a stopgap, as Diaz is owed roughly $4.1MM for the rest of this season and then $8MM in 2024. The A’s are naturally looking to unload salary and might eat some of that money, but one would imagine the Sox might explore cheaper options if they truly only want a short-term option.
The Sox could possibly also be dangling an infielder in trade talks as the deadline approaches, if the team wants to move on from Bobby Dalbec. The former top prospect was already the subject of trade speculation over the winter, and Triston Casas seems to have supplanted Dalbec as Boston’s next first baseman of the future. Back at Triple-A for much of this season, Dalbec is posting big numbers, and a scout told McAdam that “I thought he looked much more confident at the plate, with more of a plan.” That said, the scout has a modest view of Dalbec’s trade value, saying “my guess is, he’s only a second piece in a (larger) deal, or the only piece for an average bullpen arm or some infield depth.’”
Some more from around the AL East…
- Alek Manoah threw 75 pitches during a simulated game on Friday, and is slated for another sim game later this week. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters on Friday that “everything that we were talking about in terms of delivery and stuff [for Manoah] was good, so making some good strides in the right direction.” A proper minor league rehab game could follow the next simulating outing, meaning that Manoah could be back with the Jays by July 1 if all goes well, though the plan is still quite fluid given the unusual nature of Manoah’s situation. The third-place finisher in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, Manoah posted a 6.36 ERA over his first 58 innings this season, pitching so poorly that the Blue Jays optioned him to their Florida complex in order to fully explore what has gone awry.
- Harrison Bader is slated to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and other reporters. The initial aim was for Bader to return this weekend, but the outfielder requested a couple of extra minor league rehab games in order to better test his injured hamstring. Bader gave Boone a positive report via text message last night, so everything seems lined up for Tuesday when the Yankees host the Mariners. Between an oblique strain and his hamstring strain, Bader has been limited to 26 games this season, and his return will be a huge boost to a New York outfield that is still missing Aaron Judge.
- Rays manager Kevin Cash updated reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) on some injured player, including Josh Fleming and Andrew Kittredge. Fleming is on the 60-day IL due to elbow soreness, but the good news is that it doesn’t appear surgery will be required, as Cash said that the left-hander will continue to rehab without going under the knife. Kittredge had a Tommy John surgery just over a year ago, but he will throw a live batting practice this week in the latest phase of his rehab. Kittredge is expected to return to the Rays sometime in August, while Fleming’s 60-day IL placement means that August 3 would be the earliest date for a possible return.
Latest On Aaron Judge
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 Notes: Payroll, Volpe, Bader
The Yankees sit in third place in the loaded AL East despite a 39-30 record. They’re unquestionably approaching deadline season looking to add to the roster. Erasing an 8 1/2 game deficit on the Rays to take the division is going to be a challenge, but New York currently occupies the second Wild Card spot.
How much payroll flexibility is at the front office’s disposal is an open question. New York had an active offseason highlighted by the record contract for Aaron Judge and the six-year deal to bring in Carlos Rodón. They appeared to hit their spending limit by Spring Training, however. Reports suggested they were loath to move their luxury tax number past $293MM, which marks the final tier of penalization. They entered the season with concerns about left field and the back of the rotation that have largely borne out in the first couple months.
Public estimates of the Yankees’ spending still put them right around that $293MM CBT mark. A club’s tax number is calculated at the end of the season, so their reported reluctance to surpass that figure could ostensibly limit their flexibility to add money before the trade deadline.
Hal Steinbrenner met with reporters (including Chris Kirschner of the Athletic) at this week’s owner meetings. The Yankee owner denied that the $293MM mark represented a firm cutoff, saying he’d consider moves he felt were difference-making acquisitions. Steinbrenner stopped short of promising a payroll uptick, though, saying “spending money for the sake of spending money, I just don’t know.”
Which players constitute notable upgrades will obviously be a point of conversation between ownership and the front office over the next six-plus weeks. While it’s still early for clubs to pinpoint specific trade targets, it’s easier to identify areas of need, particularly in the lineup. As measured by wRC+, the Yankees have been in the bottom third of MLB in offensive production at each of catcher, third base, shortstop and left field.
Not all of those will be upgraded upon midseason. Jose Trevino is a Gold Glove caliber catcher, so New York is probably content to live with fringy offense. Josh Donaldson has lost the bulk of the season to injury. He’s now healthy, and while he’s coming off a disappointing 2022 campaign, the Yankees will first see if he can reclaim third base before looking for alternatives.
Rookie Anthony Volpe has been the everyday shortstop, starting 63 of the first 69 games. The highly-touted prospect has struggled offensively through his first few months at the MLB level. Volpe is hitting just .192/.264/.359 while striking out over 30% of the time he’s stepped to the plate. He’s gotten mixed reviews on his glove. Defensive Runs Saved has pegged him as four runs better than the average shortstop in a little under 600 innings. Statcast has him two runs below par.
It’s not the kind of start for which the organization or its fanbase had hoped. Still, Yankees brass doesn’t seem concerned about the 22-year-old. Steinbrenner reiterated his faith in Volpe during yesterday’s media session, noting that he promised the former first-round draftee a long leash in Spring Training (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Skipper Aaron Boone also said yesterday the organization hasn’t given any thought to optioning Volpe to Triple-A (relayed by Talkin’ Yanks).
An outfield upgrade before August 1, on the other hand, seems quite likely. Left field has been a revolving door, with the struggling Oswaldo Cabrera and since-released Aaron Hicks getting the bulk of the reps early on. Lefty-swinging Jake Bauers has hit for enough power to hold down a corner outfield spot for the past month, but he’s a career .214/.308/.358 hitter.
Left field was a concern from day one, and the outfield has become particularly glaring with recent injuries to Judge and Harrison Bader. There’s still not much clarity on Judge, who has been down for ten days with a ligament sprain in his right big toe. Fortunately, Bader’s return from a hamstring strain appears imminent. He played in a rehab game with Double-A Somerset this evening and is expected back during the upcoming weekend series in Boston.
Yankees Place Harrison Bader On Injured List
11:50pm: Bader is expected to miss at least “a few weeks,” Boone said after tonight’s win over the Mariners (relayed by Chris Kirschner of the Athletic).
8:20pm: The Yankees placed center fielder Harrison Bader on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain before this evening’s game in Seattle. New York also optioned catcher Ben Rortvedt to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Fellow backstop Jose Trevino has been activated from his own IL stint, while Franchy Cordero was recalled to take Bader’s spot in the outfield.
Bader’s IL placement comes as little surprise. Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged it was a possibility this morning after Bader had left last night’s game. He underwent an MRI this morning. It’s not clear how significant the strain is or how long the Yankees expect him to be sidelined, but he’ll be out for at least a week and a half.
It’s the second time this year in which Bader has landed on the shelf. He missed the first month of the season with an oblique strain. Since returning, he’s been one of New York’s best players. Bader is hitting .267/.295/.511 with six homers and stolen bases apiece in 26 games. He’s paired that with characteristically excellent defense over his 205 1/3 innings of center field work. When healthy, Bader has shown the ability to be a very productive two-way outfielder. He’s unfortunately been no stranger to the IL, though, as he’s yet to surpass 427 MLB plate appearances in a season.
That combination of productivity but a checkered injury history will make Bader an interesting free agent case next winter. Alongside Cody Bellinger and the older Kevin Kiermaier, he’s slated to top the center field class. His market will obviously be determined in large part by how quickly he makes his return and his form down the stretch.
Aaron Judge got the bulk of the center field work last time Bader was on the shelf. Greg Allen, who wasn’t on the roster last month, is getting the nod there tonight. Judge is in right field with Isiah Kiner-Falefa manning left against Seattle righty Logan Gilbert.
Yankees Notes: Bader, Trevino, Stanton
Yankees outfielder Harrison Bader departed yesterday’s game with right hamstring tightness and it seems he’s unlikely to make a quick return. Manager Aaron Boone tells Talkin’ Yanks that Bader will miss at least a few games and could even require a trip to the injured list.
The club can take a couple of days to decide since IL stints can be backdated by three days, provided that the player hasn’t participated in those intervening games. The Yanks can give Bader some time to see how his hamstring feels and then place him on the IL if it doesn’t improve. Of course, taking that path means playing shorthanded for a few days, but it could possibly allow them to avoid putting Bader on the shelf if his health improves.
Injuries have become a frequent thread in Bader’s career, as he’s spent some time on the IL in each full season from 2019 to the present. He played 103 games in 2021 and 86 last year, then started the 2023 season on the injured list due to an oblique strain. He eventually returned and has been playing very well of late, hitting .267/.295/.511 through 26 games while stealing six bases and providing quality glovework. However, he’s now at risk of having that production put on hold yet again, depending on how things develop in the coming days. Whether he goes on the IL or not, the club will have to fill center field in his absence, with playing time potentially going to Aaron Judge, Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Greg Allen.
Elsewhere on the roster, catcher Jose Trevino seems ready for a fairly quick return. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relays word from Boone that the backstop could be activated during the club’s current series against the Mariners, which runs through Wednesday. He landed on the 10-day injured list May 18 with a hamstring strain, so it looks like his stint could wind up being just over the minimum.
The glove-first catcher led the league in Defensive Runs Saved last year with 21 and also had the best framing marks in the majors according to FanGraphs. He wasn’t quite at the same pace this year but was still above-average before straining his hamstring. Once he’s able to return, it could mean that Ben Rortvedt gets optioned back to the minors. He has done a good job filling in for Trevino, hitting .286/.444/.429 but in a small sample of nine plate appearances.
Lefty Carlos Rodón is also on track to return to the team, though his return won’t be as imminent as Trevino. He threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at high intensity, per Hoch, and will soon throw another bullpen before moving on to live hitters. Signed to a six-year, $162MM deal this offseason, the southpaw has yet to make his Yankee debut after suffering a forearm strain in the spring and then dealing with back problems.
With both Rodón and Frankie Montas having been absent all season so far, it’s opened some rotation work for other hurlers like Domingo Germán, Clarke Schmidt, Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez. Germán also had to miss some time due to his 10-game sticky stuff suspension, though he has now served that and returned yesterday. That shuffling of arms has left the club’s rotation ERA at 4.38 for the year, placing them 15th out of the 30 clubs in the league. Rodón has a 2.67 ERA dating back to the start of the 2021 season and will undoubtedly provide the club with a boost once healthy, but he still has a long road ahead of him in building back up to a full starter’s workload, since he’s effectively just starting his delayed spring ramp-up now.
There are some other reinforcements that appear to be closer at hand, as the Double-A Somerset Patriots announced (Twitter links) that third baseman Josh Donaldson, outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton and right-hander Tommy Kahnle are all joining that club for rehab work tonight. Donaldson and Kahnle were already rehabbing with other affiliates but this will be Stanton’s first game action in a while. He was out to a strong .269/.296/.558 start before suffering a hamstring strain about six weeks ago. He’s always been an excellent hitter but health has been a frequent concern lately, as he’s been on the IL in each season since 2018.
Yankees Activate Harrison Bader
The Yankees announced Tuesday morning that they’ve reinstated center fielder Harrison Bader from the injured list. He’s missed the entire season thus far due to an oblique injury. Franchy Cordero was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.
Bader’s return gives the Yankees a plus defender who can slot into center field on an everyday basis and also deepen a lineup that has struggled for much of the year. While Bader hit just .217/.245/.283 in 14 regular-season games with the Yankees following his return from another IL stint last summer, he erupted with a .333/.429/.833 batting line and five homers in just 35 postseason plate appearances. He’s also a career .245/.317/.405 hitter overall during 1764 regular-season plate appearances (97 wRC+).
For much of the season, Bader’s looming return seemed like it’d be the catalyst for the Yankees to make some degree of changes in the outfield, but any such decision is now pushed back a week or so, with Aaron Judge on the injured list due to a hip strain. There’s hope that Judge can return early next week, however, at which point the Yankees will have to determine how they’ll allocate outfield playing time. Bader and Judge will presumably take regular reps in center and in right field, leaving the Yankees with a collection of Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun and perhaps the currently-optioned Cordero to split time between left field and at designated hitter.
Bauers was only just selected to the 40-man roster from Triple-A after a huge start to his season in Scranton, but the other four have struggled considerably at the big league level in the Bronx. Hicks, in particular, has floundered at the plate but is also signed through the 2025 season. Calhoun is out of minor league options and is hitting just .220/.250/.244 through 44 plate appearances himself.
Bader’s return also bears monitoring given his status as an impending free agent. The manner in which he produces and is able to remain healthy over the course of the ensuing five months will play a significant role both in his earning power and in the context of the upcoming free-agent market. The 30-year-old Bader is slated to join Cody Bellinger and Enrique Hernandez as the top center field options on the market this winter. Hernandez has been playing primarily on the infield this year thanks to injuries elsewhere on the Boston roster, however. Bellinger is out to a strong start with the Cubs but will need more than just one good month to erase the offensive swoon that defined his 2021-22 seasons. Bader’s own return from injury will help form that market.
Yankees Place Aaron Judge On Injured List
The Yankees announced that outfielder Aaron Judge has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 28, with a right hip strain. Outfielder Franchy Cordero was recalled in a corresponding move.
Judge was diagnosed with a hip strain in recent days but he and the club tried to see how it developed before officially placing him on the injured list. IL placements can be backdated as many as three days, as long as the player didn’t play in that time. Judge last played on Thursday but it seems that there’s still enough lingering concern with the issue that he’ll take another week off to get it healthy.
Obviously, playing without Judge will be a blow for the Yanks as he’s one of the best players on the planet. Last year, he had an epic season that involved 62 home runs, a 15.9% walk rate and a .311/.425/.686 batting line. Keeping that kind of production going for a second straight year would have been an incredibly difficult task and Judge is indeed shy of that, but his .261/.352/.511 line this year is still excellent.
While losing Judge will undoubtedly hurt the Yanks, it’s still quite early in the season and it makes sense for the club to exercise caution as opposed to heedlessly throwing him into the lineup every day and risk of exacerbating the issue. Since his IL placement seemed to be a borderline case, it seems fair to expect a minimal stint, though the club hasn’t announced any kind of official timeline.
Without Judge, the Yanks will have a hodgepodge of outfielders jockeying for playing time, including Cordero, Willie Calhoun, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jake Bauers and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. None of those players is having a strong season so far, with Cordero’s .151/.182/.396 batting line and 52 wRC+ the strongest of the bunch.
Help could be on the way shortly, however, as Harrison Bader is currently on a rehab assignment. He’s missed the entire season thus far due to an oblique strain but manager Aaron Boone tells reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that he could be back by this weekend.
AL East Notes: Faucher, Bader, Orioles
The Rays have been dealing with various injuries to their rotation this season, forcing them to do a bit of improvising. Tyler Glasnow has been dealing with an oblique strain and has yet to make his season debut. Zach Eflin was placed on the injured list last week due to back tightness and it was reported this week that Jeffrey Springs is expected to require Tommy John surgery. Those injuries have led to prospect Taj Bradley coming up to join the rotation and now right-hander Calvin Faucher will move in from the bullpen. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Faucher will start tomorrow’s game, with the plan being to stretch him out to four innings.
Faucher, 27, was a Twins draftee who came over to the Rays alongside Nelson Cruz in the deal that sent Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman to Minnesota. Faucher didn’t make any starts while a Twins’ prospect but has made a few since switching teams, though they’ve all been of the “opener” variety, none of them longer than three innings. He has 30 major league innings under his belt at this point between last year and this one, registering a 5.10 ERA with a 19.6% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 41.2% ground ball rate.
It’s not an especially impressive line, but the Rays have had success turning overlooked relievers into useful starters in recent years. Drew Rasmussen was once a first round draft talent but his stock faded due to injuries and he wound up in Milwaukee’s bullpen before the Rays acquired him and gave him a starting opportunity that he ran with. Springs was a 30th round pick with a middling résumé but broke out with the Rays. He parlayed his breakout last year into a four-year extension, though the aforementioned Tommy John has put a sour note on that story for now. Faucher has fared better in the minors, with a 2.98 ERA in 63 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Rasmussen, Bradley and Shane McClanahan have three rotation spots taken now, with Eflin likely to return this weekend to give them a fourth starter. The club is off today but won’t have another off-day until May 15th. They could continue using Faucher as a fifth starter if he fares well but could also use bullpen days with bulk guys like Josh Fleming and Yonny Chirinos to keep them going until Glasnow’s ready to return. He hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet but also hasn’t been placed on the 60-day IL, suggesting a return before the end of May is still on the table. If Faucher can turn into a useful piece for them in any capacity, it would help to somewhat salvage a rare trade dud from Tampa. Cruz struggled badly after the deal while Ryan has thrived since joining the Twins.
Some other notes from around the AL East…
- Yankees‘ manager Aaron Boone tells reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that center fielder Harrison Bader should begin a rehab assignment tomorrow with the Double-A Somerset Patriots. Bader has been a Yankee since being acquired from the Cardinals last year but has been limited to just 14 regular season games and nine postseason games so far. He had plantar fasciitis at the time of the deal last year and then suffered an oblique strain in spring this year. An elite defensive outfielder, Bader should take over as the primary center fielder once healthy, though he’ll need some time to get his swing back after missing most of Spring Training. Most of the starts in center have gone to Aaron Judge so far, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Aaron Hicks also getting some. Bader’s return should allow Judge to return to a less-demanding corner spot. With Giancarlo Stanton likely out for the next six weeks, the third outfield job could be juggled between Hicks, Franchy Cordero, Willie Calhoun and Oswaldo Cabrera, though one of them may need to be cut from the roster somehow to make way for Bader.
- Orioles‘ manager Brandon Hyde told reporters, including Jake Rill of MLB.com, that righties Mychal Givens and Dillon Tate could begin minor league rehab assignments next week. Neither pitcher has made their season debut yet, as Tate has been dealing with a flexor strain and Givens a knee injury. Tate has a 3.97 ERA over 179 career innings with the O’s, striking out just 19.4% of batters faced but getting grounders at a 58.1% clip. Givens, meanwhile, has a 3.40 ERA in his career, getting grounders on just 37.9% of balls in play but striking out 28.4% of batters faced. Once healthy, they should give a boost to the Baltimore relief corps. Tate is making $1.5MM this year in his first arbitration season, with the club able to retain him via arb twice more. Givens signed with the club on a one-year deal, though there’s a $6MM mutual option for 2024. If he declines his end, there’s a $1MM buyout, whereas the buyout will be $2MM if he triggers it but the O’s decline.