Yankees Head West after Strong Homestand
After a rough stretch where the New York Yankees went 2–6 against the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets, they bounced back with a 4–2 homestand against two strong AL West opponents. The Yankees took two of three from the Seattle Mariners, winning against Seattle’s two best starters in Luis Castillo and George Kirby. They followed that up by taking two of three from the Texas Rangers, the second best team in the American League. While the Yankees were able to win both series, they did little to quell concerns about an offense that has been the worst in baseball during the month of June. The Yankees offense scored 17 runs across the six games, winning on the backs of strong pitching as they have all year. Below is an overall look at the state of the Yankees as the baseball calendar approaches the month of July.
Rodon Nearing Return
The Yankees’ prized free-agent signing, Carlos Rodon, still has yet to pitch this season due to ongoing forearm and back issues. Fortunately, his return seems imminent after a second straight strong rehab appearance at AA Somerset. This past Saturday Rodon went four innings, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out four. He threw 48 pitches. In his first start five days prior, he allowed one run on one hit, striking out five across three innings.
If all goes well, Rodon will make one more rehab start before joining the Yankees rotation. July 5 is a potential date for his debut. The Yankees pitching has held up well despite injuries to 4/5 of their projected starters as well as some key relievers. If Rodon returns to his All-Star form, the Yankees will have one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball down the stretch along with Gerrit Cole.
The Donaldson Question
It is no secret that Donaldson is not exactly a favorite among Yankee fans. Through 64 at bats this season, Donaldson is hitting .125 with an OBP of .197. He has posted a bWAR of -0.2. Despite this, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reaffirmed to the media this past week his belief in Donaldson. He said Donaldson needed more of a “runway” of consistent at-bats to regain his form. Yankees manager Aaron Boone seemed to contradict Cashman’s sentiment when he benched Donaldson during this weekend’s series, outside of one pinch-hit appearance.
It got even more confusing Sunday when Boone was about a half-hour late to his pregame media press conference due to meeting with Donaldson in his office. This led many to believe Donaldson was on the verge of being DFAed. However, that was not the case. Boone told the media he and Donaldson were on the same page, saying he would still play a lot moving forward. Donaldson told the media that the conversation included “A lot of baseball stuff. Personal stories. It wasn’t as serious as you guys are trying to make it out to be.” While Donaldson and Boone played the meeting off as not a big deal, actions speak louder than words. Donaldson not being in the lineup for all three of these games certainly stood out. If Donaldson is going to be an everyday player, he will have to start producing quickly.
Aaron Judge Update
Aaron Judge put a bit of a damper on the weekend when he told reporters Saturday that he tore a ligament in his right toe and still has pain when he walks. He also told Jon Heyman on Sunday that he expects to return this year but “can’t make any promises.” It appeared as though Judge was inching closer to a return. However, Judge’s remarks gave the Yankees an unfortunate reality check. While there is optimism among some that Judge could return some time in early August, that is a far cry from the initial day-to-day diagnosis the Yankees gave after the injury occurred June 4. The Yankees are 13–16 this year without Judge, so it will continue to be “all hands on deck” until he can return.
Signs of Life from the Vets?
Outside of Donaldson, the Yankees’ three other struggling veterans — Anthony Rizzo, DJ Lemahieu, and Giancarlo Stanton — all showed modest signs of life this past week. The most promising of the three was Anthony Rizzo. While Rizzo still has not homered in over a month, he hit .389 during the Yankees’ six-game homestand and drew four walks.
Lemahieu has not played as much as he normally days the past couple of weeks. However, he did double in both games he played in the Rangers series. This gives him an extra-base hit in four of his past six games played.
While Stanton is still struggling, he did hit in the final two games of the weekend series. This included a key single in Sunday’s eighth-inning rally in which the Yankees took the lead.
These three players have had outstanding big league careers and are capable of carrying a lineup. Given that Judge will be out for even longer than previously expected, the Yankees will need these players to produce.
Unexpected Contributions to the Yankees Offense
While the established veterans on the Yankees have struggled, two players they signed to minor-league deals this offseason have thrived. Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney have been two of the Yankees’ biggest offensive threats since they each began getting consistent playing time. In 44 games, Bauers has posted an OPS of .773 and OPS+ of 112, both well above his career-best totals. The former top prospect has been very effective leading off for the Yankees. McKinney has only appeared in 16 games but has been without a doubt the Yankees best hitter in his limited action. He has an OPS of .950 and an OPS+ of 157. If these two can continue this kind of production, the Yankees lineup will be much more potent when the veterans turn it around.
Favorable Schedule
If there was ever an opportunity for the Yankees offense to break out, it is this upcoming six-game road trip. The Yankees will pay a visit to Oakland, with the highest ERA of any pitching staff in the majors. After that, they visit St. Louis, another bottom-10 pitching staff in terms of ERA. These are two last-place teams and the kinds of games the Yankees will need to win in Judge’s absence.
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