Notes:
Former Yankees’ farmhand Miguel Yajure (sent to the Pirates in the Jameson Taillon transaction) has signed a minor league deal with the Astros after spending two seasons in Japan. Yajure, who I like to use from time-to-time in the Immaculate Grid, pitched in three games for the 2020 Yankees.
Richard Fitts, part of the return to the Red Sox for Alex Verdugo (ugh), will miss the rest of the season due to a lat strain. Lat strains sound so “innocent,” but they can be significant. Fitts was traded to the Cardinals over the winter as part of the Sonny Gray deal.
Scranton (10-8) (Lost to Syracuse, 5-3)
DH Jasson Dominguez: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K
.333/.452/.483. He is now a .327/.406/.492 career hitter in Triple-A (69 games).
SS Oswaldo Cabrera: 1-for-4, HR (2), RBI, R, BB, 2 K
The early season has been a slog for Cabrera. Nice to see him put one over the fence today.
CF Max Schuemann: 0-for-4, K
LF Spencer Jones: 1-for-2, HR (4), RBI, R, HBP, BB
The home run went 419 feet at 108.1 MPH. Over the last two seasons, Jones has 39 home runs, 100 RBI, and 115 runs in 133 games.
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 0-for-3, BB
1B Seth Brown: 0-for-3, SB (2), BB
3B Paul DeJong: 0-for-4, 3 K
2B Braden Shewmake: 2-for-4, 2B (2), R, K
C Payton Henry: 1-for-4
RHP Carlos Lagrange: (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
4.30 ERA (14.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 HR, 10 BB, 18 K). Lagrange peaked at 101.4 MPH and averaged 99.6 with his 4-seamer, 98.7 with his sinker, 91.9 with his “changeup,” and 90.8 with his slider. These numbers could adjust, but it wouldn’t be by much. His stat line is far from dominant, and he isn’t giving length (those 14.2 innings are in four starts). It should shock nobody that he still needs seasoning, regardless of the velocity readings.
RHP Danny Watson: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR
RHP Kervin Castro: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
9 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 4 BB, 6 K
RHP Jake Bird: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Somerset (6-6) (Defeated Reading, 9-8, in ten innings. They also won 9-8 last night)
3B-SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-4, 2 R, SB (3), BB, K
Uh oh – he is down to .400 (Lombard Jr. hasn’t been under .400 all season)
SS Anthony Volpe: 1-for-2, 2 R, SB (1), BB
OK, I was wrong – he didn’t play a full game tonight, but he has played in back-to-back games for the first time. It’s a process!
3B Tyler Hardman: 0-for-2, K
RF Garrett Martin: 2-for-5, R, 2 K
LF Jace Avina: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, HBP, 2 K
2B Marco Luciano: 2-for-4, 2B (6), SF, 2 RBI, R
.378/.455/.784 in 44 PA (6 doubles, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 12 R)
PR Owen Cobb: 0-for-0, R
1B Coby Morales: 2-for-5, 2B (4), RBI, 2 R, K
.302/.380/.535 in 50 PA (4 doubles, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R)
DH DJ Gladney: 1-for-4, SF, 3 RBI, 2 K
.378/.415/.514 in 41 PA. He has driven home ten runs in ten games.
CF Kenedy Corona: 2-for-3, SF, RBI, SB (5), K
C Manuel Palencia: 1-for-4, K
RHP Gerrit Cole: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR (44 pitches/36 strikes)
If 25-year-old Bryson Ware never makes it to MLB, at least he can always tell his grandchildren that he went yard against Cole. Anyway, the journey begins for Cole as the rehab clock starts ticking. Remember that pitchers rehabbing arm injuries are eligible for rehab extensions, if Cole were to need more than 30 days.
RHP Andrew Landry: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR
The 24-year-old makes his Somerset debut. It is possible (probable?) he was promoted to “piggyback” Cole and will be returned to Hudson Valley. We’ll see.
RHP Chris Kean: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
RHP Kelly Austin (W, 1-1): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Hudson Valley (6-6) (Lost to Frederick, 6-1)
SS Kaeden Kent: 1-for-4, 2 K
2B Core Jackson: 0-for-2, SB (6), 2 BB, K
1B Kyle West: 0-for-4, 3 K
C Eric Genther: 2-for-3, R, HBP, K
Genther is 13-for-37 (.351) with two doubles and two runs batted in.
3B Roderick Arias: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
RF Tyler Wilson: 0-for-4, K
CF Camden Troyer: 2-for-4, 2B (2), RBI, 2 K
Troyer only has seven hits this season but has three 2-hit efforts. Feast or famine.
DH Josue Gonzalez: 0-for-4, K
LF Connor McGinnis: 0-for-3, HBP, K
RHP Rory Fox: (L, 0-1) 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, HR
First two professional starts: 9.2 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 5 BB, 13 K
RHP Baron Stuart: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, HR
RHP Hansel Rincon: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Tampa (4-9) (Lost to Bradenton, 7-0)
DH Jackson Lovich: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
Lovich is in a 1-for-17 slide after a big start to his career. Let’s see how the youngster responds to his first professional slump.
RF Brando Mayea: 0-for-4, K
3B Enmanuel Tejeda: 1-for-4, K
Tejeda is 6-for-17 in his last four games.
LF Logan Maxwell: 0-for-4
CF JoJo Jackson: 0-for-4, 2 K
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 0-for-2, BB, K
C Ediel Rivera: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-3, 2 K
.297/.395/.351 in 43 PA. He has a 5-game hitting streak.
1B Austin Green: 0-for-3
LHP Justin West (L, 1-2): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
LHP Pedro Rodriguez: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
RHP Thomas Balboni Jr.: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
Balboni, who averaged 94.1 MPH with his sinker today, missed the 2025 season due to injury. The Yankees acquired him along with Enyel De Los Santos from the Padres for Brandon Lockridge at the 2024 trade deadline. Lockridge was traded to the Brewers last year (for Nestor Cortes Jr.) and is playing regularly in 2026 (.255/.327/.298 in 53 PA with a 3-for-3 stolen base rate).
RHP Jordarlin Mendoza: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Mendoza continues to throw well since a disastrous first outing. First outing: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 0 K. Since: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 H, 2 BB, 10 K. He throws both his 4-seamer and sinker in the mid-to-upper 90s and generates some whiffs with his slider as well.
RHP Brian Arias: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K