Yankees MILB 5/2: Spencer Jones Goes Yard

Notes:

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. out until early-to-mid June or longer, the opportunity is there for Jorbit Vivas to make an impression. I won’t ignore the fact that it will eventually open a spot for DJ LeMahieuBeyond that, your depth is Braden Shewmake (activated off the IL today and on the 40-man), Jake Gatewood, and Andrew VelazquezIf anyone dares to ask about George Lombard Jr., it’s grounds for me to block you from reading my website.

Given his absurdly low K% in Triple-A, it was funny that Vivas struck out in his first plate appearance. Baseball!

Clayton Beeter is in Scranton to continue his rehab. He isn’t far away.

Many players were activated on the FCL roster for tomorrow’s opener. I won’t get into that. Of note, 2B Roc Riggio and RHP Trystan Vrieling will begin rehab assignments. OF Luis Durango, chosen in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 out of Cleveland, will also start a rehab assignment. The 22-year-old hit .250/.344/.311 in 153 plate appearances for Low-A Lynchburg last season. He was an impressive 21-for-22 stealing bases. 21 stolen bases in 41 games? Nice.

Injury Log


Scranton (15-15) (Lost to Syracuse, 6-3)

SS Braden Shewmake0-for-3, 2 K
  PH-SS Andrew Velazquez0-for-1, K
No worries about Shewmake. It is his first game back, so they didn’t allow him to play a full game.
DH Jesus Rodriguez1-for-4, 2B (3), K
Rodriguez is 14-for-28 (.500) during his 7-game hitting streak. He continues to play C/DH for Scranton. They haven’t deployed him at his other positions (mainly 3B and 1B, though he has a little LF (24 games) and 2B (3) experience).
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, R, 2 K
C Alex Jackson1-for-4, 2B (2), R, K
Jackson, not known for his offense (especially in MLB), has a 6-game hitting streak.
   C Ronaldo Hernandez0-for-0
RF Dominic Smith2-for-4, 2B (5), 2 RBI, R
LF Bryan De La Cruz0-for-3, BB, K
De La Cruz makes his Yankees’ organizational debut.
3B Jose Rojas0-for-3, BB, K
2B Jake Gatewood0-for-4, RBI, 2 K
CF Ismael Munguia0-for-3, K

LHP Brandon Leibrandt4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Leibrandt was activated off the injured list today.
RHP McKinley Moore1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
RHP Clayton Beeter1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Beeter topped out at 97.4 MPH (averaged 95.7).  He threw ten sliders and nine 4-seam fastballs.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb: (L, 2-2)  0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
LHP Rob Zastryzny1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K


Somerset (11-14) (Lost to Richmond, 8-7, in 10 innings)

1B Dylan Jasso0-for-6, 2 K
Jasso has been on fire recently. Throw this game out and start over tomorrow.
2B DJ LeMahieu0-for-3, R, BB, K
I am not an idiot. If LeMahieu is healthy (BIG IF), Vivas’s stay in the Bronx could be short. That isn’t what I want. It is what I expect.
  PH-2B Jose Colmenares2-for-2, 2B (1)
Colmenares earns his first Double-A hits (0-for-15 entering tonight)
CF Spencer Jones1-for-4, HR (9), 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K
Jones leads the Eastern League with 9 home runs and 20 runs scored.  The next highest home run total (as of this writing) is 6.
C Rafael Flores1-for-6, 2B (8), K
Flores is tied for the Eastern League lead with 21 RBI.
DH Tyler Hardman1-for-5, R, 2 K
RF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-2, 2 R, HBP, 2 BB, K
Get on base any way you can…
3B Alexander Vargas3-for-4, 3B (1), 2 RBI, BB, K
Vargas hit six triples in 2023 and 2024. This triple came in the 9th, narrowing a 7-4 deficit to 7-6.
LF Jared Wegner2-for-5, 2 RBI, K
His RBI single in the top of the 9th tied the game at 7.
SS Max Burt1-for-4, R, SB (3), BB, K

RHP Baron Stuart: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 2 HR
RHP Danny Watson2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Mason Vinyard1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
LHP Ryan Anderson2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Anderson, typically a consistent bullpen arm, has struggled this year. This was a needed appearance.
RHP Harrison Cohen: (L, 0-2)  0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K


Hudson Valley (17-8) (Defeated Jersey Shore, 9-1)

CF Brendan Jones0-for-4, R, BB
SS George Lombard Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (6), 3 RBI, R, 2 K
His 3-run double in the 7th turned a tight 4-1 game into a 7-1 game. All six of his doubles have come in his last 14 games. He is hitting .312/.491/.455 in 106 PA. I don’t mind throwing “cold water” on a prospect to give people a reality check. With Lombard Jr., the faucet is shut off. I have nothing to offer you as a “weakness.”  We’ll see what happens in the upper minors.
LF Jackson Castillo1-for-4, RBI, BB, K
RF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, R, SB (2), BB, K
.316/.450/.405 in 100 PA. Avina isn’t much of a basestealer (20-for-28 in 279 career games)
3B Parks Harber0-for-4, K
DH Coby Morales1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI, R, 2 K
C Omar Martinez2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, 2 R, BB
.244/.337/.317 in 95 PA. Let’s hope he is starting to turn the corner.
1B Josh Moylan2-for-4, R
2B Brenny Escanio1-for-3, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (5), BB, K
A nice night for Escanio, who does his job as an organizational utility guy. He offers speed and infield defense, but the bat lags.

RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: (W, 3-1) 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
What, he couldn’t repeat his 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K performance? Bust!  Season: 2.25 ERA (28 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 35 K). Impressive.
RHP Bryce Warrecker2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
0.93 ERA (9.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 2 BB, 15 K). Warrecker, who stands an impressive 6’8″, allowed 30 walks in 65.1 innings during his debut 2024 season. If something clicks with his control/command, his prospect status goes up either as a starter or a reliever.
RHP Tyrone Yulie1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.38 ERA (10.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 6 BB, 14 K). Not a bad start to his first full season as a reliever.


Tampa (9-16) (Lost to Bradenton, 9-2. They are quickly falling out of the first-half title race)

DH Edgleen Perez0-for-4, K
CF Brian Sanchez1-for-3, 2B (8), R, BB
Sanchez leads the Florida State League with his 8 doubles (as of this writing).
C Engelth Urena1-for-3, SF, RBI, SB (4), K
2B Austin Green0-for-4, 2 K
RF Tyler Wilson0-for-4, K
SS Juan Matheus1-for-4, 2B (6), R, 3 K
1B Josue Gonzalez2-for-4, 2 2B (4)
On April 17th, he was hitting .067/.216/.100. Now, he is hitting .153/.268/.220 (7-for-29 with three doubles and four walks since his low point). He isn’t “hot” – he is playing better.
LF Marshall Toole: 2-for-4, RBI, SB (5), 2 K
.286/.375/.306 in 56 PA (1 double, 4 RBI, 7 R, 5-for-5 SB, 12.5% BB, 26.8% K). Poole has four multi-hit efforts in his last seven games.
3B Hans Montero0-for-3, K

LHP Tanner Bauman (L, 0-2): 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
7.91 ERA (19.1 IP, 20 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 0 HR, 21 BB, 16 K). Some first-year prospects jump out of the gate like Griffin Herring, some have initial struggles like Bauman, and some are between those extremes.  N
RHP Gus Hughes1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
His name is Alexander David Hughes. I would love to know the story behind “Gus.”
RHP Brandon Decker1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
2.31 ERA (11.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 14 K)
RHP Jack Sokol: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
9 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K


FCL (0-0)

Their season starts on May 3rd.


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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