Around the Empire: Yankees news - 6/5/23
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Aaron Judge really can do it all, with his bullpen-door-shattering running catch Saturday the latest highlight in a season full of them. After the snag, which put a permanent dent in the door, Aaron Boone complimented the Yankee captain on the field and his teammates were quick to praise the game’s best player in the clubhouse after the victory.
However, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Judge did bang his toe pretty hard into the bullpen fence on the play and was sore yesterday as a result, forcing Boone to bench him for the series finale in LA. The skipper wasn’t sure if he would need an IL stint, and as Hoch’s second tweet below notes, Judge will have X-rays or an MRI today. (The Yankees are off.)
Aaron Judge (toe) to the IL?
Aaron Boone: "I don't know. Not at this point. We'll see how he is today, tomorrow and the next day." — Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 4, 2023
Aaron Judge (R big toe) expects to have X-rays and/or an MRI when the team returns to New York. — Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 5, 2023
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Nestor Cortes was IL’d Sunday afternoon with a shoulder problem, perhaps the cause of his poor start to the season. The lefthander has an ERA over five after last year’s down-ballot Cy Young season, and if the shoulder injury was contributing to that, at least now he’ll get some time to recover and reset. Boone (and Nestor himself) said he doesn’t imagine it will be a serious issue, so fingers crossed Nestor is back to his old self in two weeks. As Andrew noted, both Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez will be on normal rest by then and could each potentially step in for Cortes’ vacant spot on Wednesday.
Sports Illustrated | Kade Kistner: Both Josh Donaldson and Giancarlo Stanton have returned, and have made impacts in their first series back from the IL. While the lineup is better with the two sluggers in it than out, juggling them along with the rest of the Yankees veterans will be a challenge for team management. The club expects to give Stanton outfield time once again, although that may change should his soft-tissue injuries recur before the end of the year.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: While perhaps not among the elite under-the-radar acquisitions of the Brian Cashman era, Jake Bauers has been a terrific platoon option to lengthen the Yankee lineup. The lefty is mashing right handed pitching to the tune of a 156 wRC+, and credits the organization’s minor league hitting teams with correcting both his swing and his approach. While Bauers may see extremely limited action against southpaws, his power potential should keep him on the roster for the time being.
Source: Pinstripe Alley
