Yankees MILB 5/29: Spencer Jones Returns

Notes:

OF Spencer Jones, out since May 3rd due to an “intercostal injury,” returned to the Somerset lineup tonight. He joined Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is in Somerset on a rehab stint.

Unfortunately, when someone comes off the injured list, someone has to go. The Yankees have released OF Grant Richardson. Drafted in the 17th round in 2021 out of Indiana, Richardson struggled between Somerset/Scranton this year, hitting .198/.288/.363 with three homers and a stolen base in 32 games. In 2022 and 2023, he accomplished a double-double in home runs and stolen bases. Last season, he just missed, hitting 9 homers while stealing 16 bases. Hopefully, he finds work elsewhere.

Injury Log


Scranton (23-28) (Lost to Worcester, 3-2)

C Jesus Rodriguez1-for-5, 2 RBI
He was looking at a 0-for until his 2-run single in the 9th.  He is hitting .366/.445/.458 at this level.
LF Dominic Smith1-for-5, 2 K
1B T.J. Rumfield1-for-4, K
DH Alex Jackson1-for-4, 2 K
2B Jose Rojas2-for-4, R, K
RF Bryan De La Cruz2-for-4, R
CF Ismael Munguia: 2-for-4, 2 SB (13)
Munguia is well within a career best for stolen bases (18, set in 2023 and 2024).
SS Andrew Velazquez1-for-3, SB (12)
3B Jake Gatewood0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Erick Leal:(L, 1-6)  4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, HR
LHP Jayvien Sandridge: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
If the Yankees unlock him, he could be a bullpen threat in the big leagues. It’s all about those walks.
RHP Eric Reyzelman1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Reyzelman cannot find a groove….
RHP Zach Messinger2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Messinger as a reliever can be interesting. In his first three games in the role: 8 IP, 6 R, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K. It is possible they placed him in the bullpen temporarily to reset him as a starter, where he has struggled this year.


Somerset (23-24) (Destroyed Akron, 12-0)

3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.2-for-3, 2 R, BB
It’s hilarious that this franchise, adamant about moving Chisholm Jr. back to his natural position, may move him to third to accommodate the remnants of DJ LeMahieu. We would be laughing if the Colorado Rockies did something like this.
   3B Alexander Vargas0-for-1
SS George Lombard Jr.1-for-5, 3B (1), RBI
CF Spencer Jones2-for-3, 2B (4), RBI, R, SB (7), CS (2)
Good to see Jones running in his first game back (plus, they played him in center field, a good sign they think he is fully healed). 
   CF Cole Gabrielson0-for-2, K
C Rafael Flores0-for-4, R, BB, K
RF Garrett Martin2-for-4, HR (6), RBI, 2 R
.221/.329/.393 in 171 PA. 
LF Brennen Davis: 2-for-2, HR (2), 2 RBI, 3 R, HBP, BB
4-for-15 with two home runs and six runs scored. Davis has 167 games of Triple-A experience, and I assume he will get back there. It might be a roster space game more than anything else.
1B Dylan Jasso0-for-3, R, BB, K
DH Tyler Hardman3-for-3, 2 HR (6), 6 RBI, 2 R, BB
Hardman’s first multi-HR game since 2023 (he had five such games that season, including a 3-HR effort). He has 15 RBI in 19 May games.
2B Max Burt1-for-4, K

RHP JT Brubaker4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Solid start for Brubaker, who has a ticking clock that the Yankees will eventually need to decide on.
RHP Brendan Beck (W, 4-1): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
2.33 ERA (38.2 IP, 25 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 40 K). Beck has been impressive and healthy. Let’s hope he keeps it going.


Hudson Valley (30-16) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-6, in ten innings)

2B Roc Riggio2-for-5, HR (6), RBI, 2 R, K
Riggio has six home runs in 17 games (7 HR in 19 games if you want to include his FCL rehab stint)
LF Brendan Jones0-for-5, 2 K
RF Jace Avina1-for-3, 2B (12), 2 R, 2 BB
Avina 12 doubles and four homers in 38 games. He has 20 RBI and 28 runs scored (15.3% BB).
DH Parks Harber1-for-5, 2B (8), RBI, R, K
CF Jackson Castillo: 2-for-5, 3B (1), 3 RBI, R
Castillo is hitting .230/.331/.355 with 11 doubles, a triple, and a pair of home runs. He has 29 RBI in 39 games (he is 17-for-52 (.327) with RISP)
C Omar Martinez1-for-3, RBI, BB
  PR Luis Durango0-for-0
   C Tomas Frick0-for-0, BB
3B Jose Colmenares1-for-5, K
1B Josh Moylan0-for-3, HBP, K
SS Brenny Escanio: 0-for-3, BB, K

RHP Ben Hess4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
4.05 ERA (40 IP, 27 H, 22 R, 18 ER, 1 HR, 24 BB, 59 K). Not giving up home runs and striking out 59 in 40 innings is good. The walks are the biggest issue he will need to work on.
RHP Bryce Warrecker1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Warrecker has been outstanding all year, but it’s fair to point out that he allowed two of Hess’ runs to score tonight (he entered the game with the bases loaded and one out).  Season: 0.83 ERA (21.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 29 K).
RHP Hayden Merda2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
3.22 ERA (22.1 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 11 BB, 32 K). Merda has a 1.38 ERA in May (5.79 in April)
RHP Huey Morrill: (L, 2-1): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K


Tampa (25-22) (Split two games with Lakeland)

Game 1 (Won, 2-0, in the completion of yesterday’s game)

SS Roderick Arias0-for-1, 2 BB
CF Cam Eden1-for-2
His rehab was moved to Tampa.
   PH-CF Marshall Toole0-for-1
DH Edgleen Perez0-for-2, BB, K
C Engelth Urena0-for-3
RF Dillon Lewis0-for-2, BB, K
3B Juan Matheus2-for-3, R, K
LF Tyler Wilson0-for-3, K
2B Austin Green1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, K
1B Josue Gonzalez0-for-3

RHP Carson Coleman1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Coleman’s rehab was moved here from the FCL.
RHP Andrew Landry: (W, 2-3)  3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
6.43 ERA (35 IP, 49 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 4 HR, 15 BB, 37 K). 
RHP Jackson Fristoe2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
5.11 ERA (24.2 IP, 27 H, 18 R, 14 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 20 K)
RHP Brady Kirtner (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
2.08 ERA (26 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 HR, 10 BB, 30 K). A call to Hudson Valley may not be far off.

Game 2 (Lost, 3-1)

SS Roderick Arias0-for-2, SF, RBI, 2 K
The struggle is real.
CF Brian Sanchez0-for-2, K
C Edgleen Perez0-for-2, BB
DH Engelth Urena0-for-3
RF Cam Eden0-for-2, BB
LF Dillon Lewis0-for-3, K
3B Juan Matheus1-for-3, R
.290/.355/.359 in 169 PA (10 doubles, 23 RBI, 20 R, 12-for-17 SB, 10.7% BB, 22.5% K). Matheus is doing a solid job adjusting to full-season ball, but is a cautionary tale about taking K/BB rates seriously in the rookie leagues (he compiled 84 walks and 76 strikeouts in 104 rookie league games)
1B Tyler Wilson1-for-2, 2B (5), BB
2B Owen Cobb2-for-2
.391/.429/.667 in 78 PA (6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 19 R, 8-for-10 SB, 6.4% BB, 19.2% K). 
  PH Austin Green0-for-1, K
Unless the idea was that Green would get an AB in Game 2 (weird) or Cobb was injured, I don’t get the idea of pinch-hitting for a kid hitting .391 with two outs and nobody on.

RHP Brandon Decker: (L, 1-1)  2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
2.14 ERA (21 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 0 HR, 8 BB, 21 K). This is his second straight start. I am not sure if they are starting to stretch him out but it would make sense.
LHP Tanner Bauman: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HR
RHP Sean Hermann1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
1.54 ERA (23.1 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 0 HR, 19 BB, 22 K). His BB rate has come down considerably in May.


FCL (8-11) (Lost to the Tigers, 3-0)

LF Brando Mayea0-for-3, HBP
.288/.366/.493 in 83 PA (4 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 19 R, 4-for-7 SB)
C Ediel Rivera2-for-4, CS (2), K
.283/.400/.413 in 55 PA (3 doubles, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 7 R, 4-for-6 SB)
2B Gabriel Terrero1-for-2, 3B (1), BB, K
Terrero has a double, triple, and homer in ten games this season.
RF Santiago Gomez0-for-2, 2 SB (8), HBP

RHP Omar Gonzalez (L, 0-2): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
RHP Mariano Salomon3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
0.68 ERA (13.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 15 K). Salomon has impressed in his career, throwing to a 2.67 ERA in 104.1 innings with a 131/24 K/BB.
RHP Chance Nolan: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
The former collegiate quarterback has yet to allow an earned run (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K)


DSL (0-0)

Their season starts in June.

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