Injury Log (Not all injuries are likely reported yet, so keep that in mind)
Notes:
The unfortunate thing about minor league baseball is that teams have to make roster cuts. Pitchers Mason Vinyard, Cole Zaffiro, Chance Nolan, and Gus Hughes are no longer with the organization.
If Nolan sounds somewhat familiar, he is the former Oregon State quarterback they signed to an MILB deal last year after he tossed 3.1 innings for an NAIA school. Hughes was their 18th-round pick in the 2024 draft out of NCAA Tournament darling High Point (taking a look at that campus, why would he ever want to leave?). He compiled a 3.80 ERA in 45 innings for Tampa last year. Vinyard pitched in 113 games, making it as high as Triple-A Scranton in 2025 (one game). Zaffiro, who was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Penn, pitched to a 4.42 ERA for Tampa during his 2025 debut campaign.
RHP Elmer Rodriguez is on the Temporary Inactive list. That list is used for non-injury purposes, such as family emergencies. Veteran minor league signing Rafael Montero is on the Restricted list due to visa issues.
Scranton (2-1) (Split a doubleheader against Buffalo)
Game 1 (Won, 5-4, in ten innings)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, CS (1), K
CF Spencer Jones: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
RF Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-5, R, 3 K
2B Max Schuemann: 1-for-5, RBI, K
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 2-for-5, 2B (1), R, SB (1)
3B Paul DeJong: 0-for-5
DH Yanquiel Fernandez: 0-for-5, 3 K
C Ali Sanchez: 2-for-3, 2 R, BB
PR Duke Ellis: 0-for-0, R
Ellis will get some playing time beyond pinch-running, but there’s an outfield logjam with Dominguez and Jones around.
C Payton Henry: 0-for-0
SS Braden Shewmake: 2-for-3, SAC
Shewmake was the Braves’ first-round pick in the 2019 draft. He survived the entire 2025 season on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, though he was never called up. They designated him for assignment this winter and cleared waivers, allowing the Yankees to outright him to Scranton.
RHP Carlos Lagrange: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Lagrange was consistently in the upper 90s today, topping out at 101.3. He featured his four-pitch mix (4-seamer, sweeper, change, slider), generating at least one whiff with each pitch. I won’t ignore the zero walks, of course. This is his fifth season of professional ball. Entering this year, he had four starts in his career where he didn’t walk a batter – one in each season.
RHP Bradley Hanner: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Hanner is one of those veterans that every team employs on their Triple-A rosters. The 27-year-old entered today with 203 career appearances, but has yet to make his MLB debut. He throws a 4-seamer and a sinker, averaging in the 92-93 MPB range with both.
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Castro was one of the final cuts this spring. He has a 4-seamer, cutter, sinker, sweeper, and curve in his arsenal. In his debut campaign (2021 with the Giants), he pitched to a 0.00 ERA in 13 games (allowed one unearned run).
RHP Yovanny Cruz (W, 1-0): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
You may not know much about Cruz, but pay some attention to him. He hit 100+ MPH twice today (averaged 99.2) and generated six whiffs with his slider. He pitched from 2017 through 2023 in the Cubs’ organization before going to the Padres in 2024 and the Red Sox in 2025. So, what am I leaving out? As you may suspect, control has been an issue. He walked 44 in 59.1 innings in Double-A last season. When you have an arm like his, you don’t need pinpoint control to be successful. However, you have to be better than that.
RHP Danny Watson (S, 1): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Watson, who stands 6’7″, makes his Scranton debut. The Yankees drafted him 15th round in 2021 out of VCU. Despite his size, he is not a hard thrower and is a sinker/slider type. While that sounds “typical,” Watson features a deceptive delivery (I have seen it described as a “tilting sidearm”) to baffle opponents. All this said, he slipped through the Rule 5 draft in December. He had a rough year in 2024, though his advanced stats (FIP and xFIP) showed he pitched better than his 4.74 ERA in 2025.
Game 2 (Lost, 7-3)
LF Jasson Dominguez: 0-for-3
He did commit a fielding error, which we need to monitor.
CF Spencer Jones: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, K
His home run was hit 397 feet at 109.1 MPH.
SS Max Schuemann: 0-for-3
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 1-for-1, 3B (1)
Martinez left the game due to injury after a play at first base.
1B Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-2
DH Paul DeJong: 1-for-3, K
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 1-for-3, HR (2), RBI, R
His home run was a bomb, travelling 427 feet at 110.9 MPH. Hitting balls over the fence has never been an issue for the 23-year-old, as he has 79 home runs in 472 minor league games.
C Payton Henry: 1-for-3, 2B (1), R, K
2B Braden Shewmake: 0-for-2
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 0-for-2, RBI, K
Signed as a minor league free agent over the winter, Ornelas reached double digits in home runs in 2025, though it came with an unflattering .196/.295/.303 triple slash in 115 games. He has 32 games of MLB experience with the Rangers and Braves. He is your prototypical no-hit utility guy who can provide some depth.
RHP Dom Hamel: (L, 0-1) 3.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
The 27-year-old Hamel was ranked 9th in the Mets’ system in 2022 and 2023, which is hardly relevant now. He pitched a scoreless inning in his MLB debut last year, a season when the Mets used him more out of the bullpen than in previous campaigns.
RHP Harrison Cohen: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
It should be noted that Cohen allowed two inherited runners to score. Likely the most polished relief prospect in the system, Cohen relies on a low velocity cutter as his #1 pitch, though he mixes in a low-90s fastball and changeup. He is likely not high on the depth chart, but a 2026 debut isn’t out of the question.
RHP Zach Messinger: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Once an interesting prospect as a starter, the Yankees moved Messinger to a permanent relief role in 2025 (though he did start seven times). He didn’t pitch well (5.55 ERA in 73 innings). Standing 6’6″, Messinger features a mid-90s 4-seamer and sinker. We’ll see if he can get into a relief groove in 2026.