Marco Luciano, a utilityman signed as a minor league free agent over the winter, is on the injured list for Scranton. Between Somerset and Scranton, Luciano hit .303/.392/.613 (158 wRC+) over 166 plate appearances. While he has played a utility role throughout his career, he has only played second base in the Yankees’ organization.
1B/3B Tyler Hardman, who has played in 313 Double-A games over the last five years, has finally been promoted to Scranton. An elbow injury slowed Hardman’s progress, but he has stayed healthy the last few years. After hitting .228/.294/.458 with 20 home runs in 2025, Hardman is hitting .300/.371/.613 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI in 42 games this season. He leaves the Patriots as the Eastern League leader in runs batted in.
The Yankees have signed RHP Peter Strzelecki to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Scranton. The 31-year-old pitched for three MLB teams between 2022 and 2024, compiling a 3.44 ERA (3.49 FIP) in 77 games (83.2 innings) with a 24% K and 8.4% BB. He was pitching in Triple-A Nashville (Brewers) this season before being granted free agency on May 20th.
He’s a solid depth piece with Major League success on his resume.
Scranton (25-23) (Lost to Lehigh Valley, 5-4)
“Where’s Spencer Jones?” Part of the CBA allows players to take time to report after a demotion. This isn’t the Bravo Network, so there isn’t any drama to read into. Jones has the right to take a few days before coming back.
SS George Lombard Jr.: 1-for-5, R, 4 K
Lombard’s second career four-strikeout game (both this year – struck out four times for Somerset on April 15th). He now has more strikeouts (22) than walks (19) since his promotion.
RF Yanquiel Fernandez: 1-for-4, RBI
Fernandez has a 5-game hitting streak (10-for-24). He has four home runs and ten RBI during the streak.
3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-for-3, SF, RBI, 2 K
1B Seth Brown: 2-for-3, 2 2B (4), R, BB
DH Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4, 2B (1), RBI
LF Ernesto Martinez Jr.: 1-for-4
C Ali Sanchez: 0-for-4
CF Duke Ellis: 0-for-3, R, 2 SB (22), BB, 2 K
Walking Ellis is one of the stupidest things any pitcher can ever do.
2B Jonathan Ornelas: 0-for-3, RBI, R, BB
RHP Elmer Rodriguez: (L, 1-3) 3 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 8 K
A tough night for Rodriguez, though recording eight of nine outs via strikeouts eases the pain a little. His ERA spikes to 2.48 (29 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 HR, 15 BB, 34 K).
RHP Zach Messinger: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
All three runners he inherited scored. He has a 3.41 ERA in 29 innings (17 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 2 HR, 14 BB, 25 K) and has a string of 15 consecutive scoreless innings (I know that is hard to “accept” when you see he allowed three inherited runners to score tonight!)
RHP Dylan Coleman: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
0.84 ERA (10.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 HR, 9 BB, 12 K)
RHP Carson Coleman: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
3.66 ERA (19.2 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 0 HR, 10 BB, 19 K)
Somerset (22-22) (Defeated Chesapeake, 4-0)
CF Jace Avina: 2-for-5, RBI, R
Avina has eight multi-hit efforts this season (has at least one extra-base hit in six of them. Tonight was one of the exceptions!)
RF Garrett Martin: 1-for-4, 2B (8), RBI, BB, K
3B Coby Morales: 0-for-4, BB, 2 K
LF DJ Gladney: 1-for-5, 2 K
DH Jackson Castillo: 2-for-4, R
C Manuel Palencia: 3-for-4
2B Connor McGinnis: 1-for-3, K
PR-2B Kevin Verde: 0-for-1, R, CS (1)
Verde, an organizational utility guy, was placed in Somerset today. A situation where a body was needed.
1B Abrahan Gutierrez: 2-for-4, 2B (4), RBI, R
SS Owen Cobb: 1-for-4, K
LHP Kyle Carr: (W, 4-4) 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.93 ERA (38.1 IP, 38 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 3 HR, 18 BB, 45 K). May: 1.61 ERA (22.1 IP, 15 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 7 BB, 26 K)
RHP Hayden Merda: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
What a performance (it wasn’t five straight strikeouts because there was an error mixed in). Merda owns a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 IP (15 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 7 BB, 33 K). 33 strikeouts in 19.2 innings will capture anyone’s attention.
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Chris Veach: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Hudson Valley (21-22)
Their game against Brooklyn was cancelled due to rain. It will not be made up.
Tampa (22-22) (Lost to Clearwater, 8-6)
3B Jackson Lovich: 1-for-4, HR (11), RBI, 2 R, SB (11), BB, 2 K
The home run was hit 397 feet at 108.5 MPH. He is hitting .302 with a 1.017 OPS.
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K
2B Hans Montero: 3-for-5, 3 HR (6), 4 RBI, 3 R, K
Have yourself a night, Hans! He is hitting .269 with a .923 OPS (started tonight with an .842 OPS). This is his second career multi-HR effort. This is the second time this week a Tampa player hit three home runs in a game (Lovich). The Tarpons lost both games.
RF Willy Montero: 2-for-5, RBI, K
Montero has five multi-hit efforts in his last seven games.
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-4
CF Luis Durango: 2-for-3, 2 SB (17), BB
17 stolen bases in 20 games. He has no power to tap into (hasn’t homered since his 2021 debut campaign, and has only 21 doubles and five triples in 246 career games), so it is all about the contact, speed, and defense.
LF Gabriel Lara: 1-for-4, 2 K
1B John Cristino: 0-for-4, K
DH Greg Bozzo: 0-for-4, 2 K
LHP Henry Lalane: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K
4.97 ERA (25.1 IP, 26 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 0 HR, 13 BB, 28 K). This is the 4th time he has struck out eight batters in a game (first since August 4, 2023). That is his personal best. He didn’t throw any harder than he has in recent games, but his changeup/slider combination was working. He generated seven whiffs with both pitches.
RHP Jose Martinez: 1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Interesting stat line.
RHP Greysen Carter: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Carter topped out at 101 MPH. His ERA is down to 3.98 in 20.1 IP (13 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 1 HR, 18 BB, 27 K). Carter walked 13 batters in his first six innings (five in 14.1 since). Carter with any semblance of control = a legitimate MLB prospect.
LHP Pedro Rodriguez:(L, 1-1) 0.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 HR
Rodriguez entered the game with a 0.71 ERA. It is now 4.73.
RHP Matthew Tippie: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
FCL Yankees (9-7) (Outslugged the Phillies, 11-8)
1B Richard Matic: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R, BB
Can Matic get to Tampa this year? The FCL season ends well before the FSL season does, so there’s always that possibility. He is hitting .311/.455/.426 in 77 PA with a 20.8% BB and 18.2% K.
RF Wilberson De Pena: 3-for-5, 2 HR (5), 7 RBI, 2 R, SB (9)
Talk about driving in runs in bunches: De Pena has 7-RBI, 6-RBI, and 5-RBI games this season. In 69 plate appearances, he is hitting a crazy .397/.449/.762 (6 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 12 R, 9-for-13 SB, 7.2% BB, 18.8% K). He’s in the midst of a 9-game hitting streak.
DH Queni Pineda: 1-for-3, SF, RBI, BB, K
3B Leni Done: 0-for-4, HBP, K
.322/.408/.475 in 71 PA. He is following up his strong debut season in the DSL with a strong start to his first FCL season.
SS Dexters Peralta: 1-for-3, 3B (2), R, BB, K
.220/.409/.500 in 66 PA (1 double, 2 triples, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 11 R, 6-for-6 SB, 22.7% BB, 34.8% K). What a strange profile, but small sample sizes can do that to you.
LF Estivenzon Montero: 2-for-4, 2B (3), RBI, R, K
C Justin Capellan: 0-for-3, HBP, K
2B Christofer Reyes: 3-for-3, 2B (1), RBI, 3 R, HBP, 2 SB (5)
Reyes has five hits and five stolen bases in two games since his promotion.
CF Isael Arias: 1-for-3, 2 R, SB (4), BB
RHP Sabier Marte: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
The road to recovery can be a long one.
RHP Enixon Sanchez (W, 1-1): 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Edinzo Marquez: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
In two rehab assignment games, he has tossed 4.2 scoreless innings with a 7/2 K/BB.
RHP Austin Breedlove: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Carlos Rondon: 1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HR
The Phillies made it interesting in the 9th, as they started to destroy Rondon, who is a catcher.