Daily Report – 9/24/26
Yankees
The waters are getting murky in Yankeeland. All season, players have dropped from the roster like flies. Some have remained flies. Others have transformed back into baseball players. Some of those players have then turned back into flies.
Aaron Judge is one of those players. When he returned from his 99-game stint on the injured list, it felt like anything was possible for the Yankees. When he strained his calf a week later, it felt like all that hope disappeared.
So, Judge telling the media that he intends to return is, for lack of a better term, insane.
This is for two reasons:
If he plays again this season, he could risk tearing his Achilles.
All of this “Judgian Drama” feels unnecessary and overwhelming.
On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone told the media that he didn’t expect Judge to play in the team’s upcoming Wild Card series, which begins in the Bronx next Tuesday. Yesterday, Judge rebutted, claiming he plans to return as soon as… next Tuesday.
Two days ago, Boone said Judge’s calf strain was “moderate.” Yesterday, Judge said, “Everybody’s moderate’s a little bit different. I don’t know why he used those words, but I’m trying to come back as soon as I can.”
Judge also emphasized that if it were earlier in the season, the team would probably offer a clearer injury timeline. For now, everything is on the table for the Yankees’ postseason roster. That includes Giancarlo Stanton, who has suffered three different calf strains since hitting the IL in late April.
On Tuesday, a few media members posted videos of Stanton running in the Yankee Stadium outfield. He looked slow and in pain. But yesterday, Stanton and Trent Grisham, who has been out since September 4 with a hamstring strain, took a live batting practice session in Somerset.
Supposedly, Stanton homered during that session. Today, he took batting practice reps at Yankee Stadium.
But with Ben Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Luis García Jr., and Heliot Ramos on the roster, how does Stanton fit? Boone said he could be used as a pinch-hitter in the Wild Card round, but that suggests he still can’t run.
Additionally, Spencer Jones has been strong offensively and defensively in center field. In his last 30 games, he owns a .272 batting average and a .803 OPS. Against left-handed pitching this season, he is 20-for-50 (.400) with a 1.155 OPS. With runners in scoring position, he has a .333 average and a 1.015 OPS.
How could the Yankees justify playing Grisham in center field over Jones? The Yankees will likely face Boston next week, and the Red Sox are trying to start a left-handed pitcher in every game. For reference, Grisham has a .233 batting average versus lefties.
Next, Cam Schlittler might not start the first game of the Wild Card series. When asked why, pitching coach Matt Blake said Max Fried might be the better option because he would be on extended rest. Yet, Schlittler is scheduled to start tonight against Tampa Bay.
The Yankees also lost another potential playoff bullpen arm. Clarke Schmidt landed on the 15-day injured list today with right bicep neuritis. The righty appeared in one game after Tommy John surgery, and he might not play again this season.
Several reports claim the Yankees might call up hard-throwing Carlos Lagrange, whom they converted to a minor league reliever before he sprained his shoulder, to replace Schmidt. He has never played in the Majors, yet he could make the postseason roster.
Oh yeah, and the Yankees played a game last night. It didn’t matter for the postseason standings, but it mattered to Gerrit Cole. In a much-needed bounceback start, the veteran right-hander, who could start a Wild Card game next week, struck out eight batters across 5 2/3 innings. He allowed a home run, but it was a solo shot on a high pitch.
Cole was pulled in the sixth inning because his pitch count reached 105. However, he generated nine swings and misses (more than usual) and strikeouts with three different pitch types.
“I feel ready to go,” Cole said. “The progression from the surgery and phasing back into playing every day has gone about as well as you could hope. It’s allowed us the ability to make some adjustments along the way, continue to fine-tune things, and hopefully continue to pitch well here over the next month or so.”
The Yankees won 9-2, thanks to two home runs by Ben Rice and five RBI by Ryan McMahon. With his two home runs, including a first-pitch leadoff shot in the opening inning and another solo blast in the fourth inning, Rice has 41 this season. Along with Pete Alonso, Yordan Alvarez, and Junior Caminero, there is a four-way tie for the American League home run lead.
“It’s a cool milestone,” said Rice, who joined Judge and Joe DiMaggio as the only Yankees to hit 40 homers by their third Big League season. “It’s not something you go into the season really aiming for. You don’t really know how it’s going to go, but as I was approaching that number, it’s definitely something I was hoping to achieve.”
While Rice has been terrific all season, McMahon has regularly been criticized for his disappointing offensive metrics. Before yesterday, he was hitting .206 with a .615 OPS and turned third base into a rotation between himself, José Caballero, Amed Rosario, and Anthony Volpe.
“Offensively, it’s been a struggle, especially in the second half,” Boone said of McMahon. “We’ll try to get more out of him offensively. Last year, he went into the postseason right away and had some big hits for us. You never know how that can switch, especially when a guy has [his ability].”
Yesterday, McMahon’s five RBI were a season-high and his most since May 19. In the third inning, with two outs and two strikes, he clubbed a grand slam. The home run was his first since August 3 and his second since July 11. Hopefully, the hit will flip a switch for McMahon, who is 7-for-43 (.163) in his last 15 games.
Tonight at 7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT), RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.94 ERA) will make the final start of his Cy Young campaign (YES, Gotham Sports). For the Rays, LHP Ian Seymour (9-7, 4.38 ERA) will mind the rubber.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
DH Paul Goldschmidt (L)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
RF Heliot Ramos (R)
1B Ben Rice (L)
3B Amed Rosario (R)
SS George Lombard Jr. (R)
2B Anthony Volpe (R)
C Austin Wells (L)
CF José Caballero (R)
SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.94 ERA)
Schedule
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2026 NHL Preseason – NYR vs. NJ; MSG, DAZN
7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT): NYY vs. TB; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.94 ERA) vs. LHP Ian Seymour (9-7, 4.38 ERA)
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CDT): Thursday Night Football (TNF), Week 3 – Atlanta Falcons (0-2) at Green Bay Packers (1-1); Prime Video
Cover Image Courtesy: New York Yankees
