Daily Report – 6/5/26
Yankees
No matter how you spin it, losing Aaron Judge for any period of time is bad. Very bad. If the Yankees had lost him for the rest of the season, they would have to abandon their postseason dreams. Thankfully, they have dodged a bullet because Judge is expected to return later this season.
The Yankees sent Judge’s imaging to Dr. Gregory Pearl in Texas to hopefully rule out thoracic outlet syndrome. While TOC hasn’t deliberately been ruled out, had Judge been diagnosed with it, he would require season-ending surgery. Instead, for the second time in his career, Judge has suffered a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side.
Judge’s fracture will sideline him for at least two months. For four to six weeks, he will rest before the Yankees reimage him and determine next steps. No matter how long it takes to get the captain back, at least the Yankees have avoided the worst-case scenario. However, the team will face its toughest test throughout these next two months.
It would be quite a shame if the Yankees had to waste another season of Judge in his prime, especially because of how strong their pitching staff is, how weak the American League is, and the possibility of a lockout next season.
Giancarlo Stanton is supposed to return in about two weeks, and Jasson Domínguez is scheduled to begin a rehab start today. Other hitters, including Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt, have started to hit better this month.
Grisham had a multi-hit game in yesterday’s 2-1 win over Cleveland, and since May 19, he is 17-for-47 (.362). Goldschmidt extended his hitting streak to nine games yesterday, and he is 13-for-39 (.333) in that span.
Also, Spencer Jones got recalled today. The team’s No. 6 prospect struggled in his first week in the Majors, but in 10 Triple-A games since his demotion, he has hit to a .306 average with a .919 OPS. Because of his size, Jones often gets compared to Aaron Judge, but left-handed.
Now that Judge will be out for a considerable time, the biggest concern surrounding the Yankees is that 2023 will repeat itself. That season, Judge crashed into the Dodger Stadium fence and suffered a toe ligament injury that sidelined him for months. Afterwards, the Yankees experienced an epic free fall, finishing their season two games above .500 while missing the playoffs.
However, the 2026 Yankees are a deeper, more experienced club than in 2023. That year, fans had to watch the likes of Jake Bauers, Billy McKinney, and Willie Calhoun. Now, we get to see Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice — that is a massive upgrade.
“It kind of sucks not having a three-time MVP in your lineup,” Chisholm said after yesterday’s win. “But at the same time, we all know we can’t use it as an excuse. We’re all baseball players, and we’ve got to go out there and win a game.”
Usually, two runs aren’t going to cut it, but Carlos Rodón’s excellence helped the Yankees avoid the sweep against Cleveland. On a sunny afternoon in the Bronx, the lefty struck out seven batters over six one-run innings, allowing two hits and three walks. He retired 10 of his first and final 11 batters faced.
“I’m happy with the swing-and-miss,” said Rodón, who generated 18 whiffs. “Getting ahead is the number-one thing, and just trying to get outs, the strikeouts come. The goal is to go out there and get as many zeroes up on the board for our team, and let the boys go out there and bang.”
Following iffy starts from Cam Schlittler and Gerrit Cole this week, Rodón’s success was refreshing. After Rodón, the Yankees’ bullpen, including Brent Headrick, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar, retired nine of its 10 batters faced.
Offensively, the Yankees scored with their legs. In the fourth inning, a double-steal by Goldschmidt and Bellinger allowed Chisholm to launch a sacrifice fly. As Goldschmidt hustled home, Bellinger tried to tag up to third base, but he couldn’t make it in time.
In the seventh inning, Chisholm came up big again. After walking, he stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Ryan McMahon worked the count full and knocked the seventh pitch he faced into right field for a single. Chisholm would never have scored if not for his baserunning. He and José Caballero rank fourth in the American League with 15 stolen bases.
“The running game was ultimately what allowed us to win this game,” said manager Aaron Boone. “That’s been a part of our game anyway. Today, it was a big part because [running came] in critical spots in a low-scoring game. We have somebody else in the lineup in lieu of [Judge] that maybe [has] a different skill set that we have to take advantage of.”
Now that the Judge news is official, the next phase of the season begins. The Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox for three games, beginning tonight at 7:05 PM (YES, Gotham Sports). LHP Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52 ERA) will start against former Yankees bust RHP Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06 ERA).
Tomorrow, at 7:35 PM, RHP Will Warren (7-1, 3.22 ERA) will toe the slab against LHP Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.38 ERA) (FOX, FOX ONE).
Then, on Sunday at 1:35 PM, RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.89 ERA) will try to bounce back as the Yankees face LHP Connelly Early (5-3, 3.26 ERA) (YES, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
Tonight, 6/5:
7:05 PM: NYY vs. BOS; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06 ERA)
8:30 PM: 2026 NBA Finals, Game 2 – NYK (1-0) at SA (0-1); ABC, ESPN App
Saturday, 6/6:
7:35 PM: Baseball Night in America – NYY vs. BOS; FOX, FOX ONE; SP: RHP Will Warren (7-1, 3.22 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.38 ERA)
Sunday, 6/7:
1:35 PM: NYY vs. BOS; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.89 ERA) vs. LHP Connelly Early (5-3, 3.26 ERA)
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Yankees
