Notes:
In news that sent shockwaves around the Yankees’ Universe, they have released catcher Payton Henry from his minor league contract. It’s the beginning of a month, so he probably exercised an opt-out. Henry, who recently turned 29, was signed to a minor league contract to provide depth. Like Ali Sanchez, their current backup, Henry hasn’t hit much when given MLB opportunities, going 8-for-43 in 20 games for the Marlins between 2021 and 2022. The Railriders activated Edinson Duran from the Development List to take his place. Duran has appeared in two games as a catcher and five as a pitcher in 2026. Scranton’s current depth chart is J.C. Escarra/Abrahan Gutierrez/Duran.
Word came out this afternoon that Carlos Rodon is out with an elbow issue. The timing was bad, as Elmer Rodriguez started last night for Scranton. With him unavailable, the Yankees will turn to Brendan Beck either as a starter or a bulk reliever tomorrow. Beck doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but has been pitching extremely well lately for Scranton. In his last six starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA over 35 innings (18 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 14 BB, 37 K).
RHP Carlos Lagrange was placed on the 7-day injured list due to a shoulder injury. I missed this when I was finishing up my report last night. Oops. This is a blow to the Yankees, who were hoping Lagrange would be one answer to their bullpen questions. According to Meredith tonight, he will not throw for six weeks. Suffice to say, his season is in jeopardy.
Lagrange has posted mixed results since moving to the bullpen. In seven games, he has a 5.02 ERA in 14.1 innings with a 20/8 K/BB. His last outing was particularly brutal, as he allowed five runs over 0.2 innings on June 28th. Given his usage pattern, we should have sensed something when he didn’t pitch on July 1st.
“Was the move to the bullpen the cause?” Impossible to answer that, but I doubt it. I realize Aaron Boone brought it up as a possibility, but Lagrange hasn’t been treated like a relief pitcher yet. His shortest rest has been two days. Essentially, they were asking him to pitch on days when starters would have side sessions.
What does this mean for the Yankees? Lagrange was going to be given first crack at fixing a bullpen leak, but that isn’t happening anymore.
They could give a longer look at the hard-throwing Yovanny Cruz, though he isn’t eligible to come back for several days.
I see people pining over him, but let’s not forget he does come with serious control concerns (as did Lagrange). It’s funny when Evan Roberts on WFAN brings up this topic, as he has no idea who Cruz is. One reason Cruz put himself on the map this season is a reduction in his walk rate, though it has crept up to 10.5%.
I am not against it. The Yankees can use a swing-and-miss guy even if he has less-than-ideal walk rates. My nephew and I even agreed that I may have kept him up while sending out either Jake Bird or Camilo Doval to Scranton. Why not see if he can provide a boost? The Yankees don’t agree.
Bradley Hanner has pitched well, and I never doubt the Yankees when it comes to finding guys and turning them into something. However, it’s hard to get excited. Eric Reyzelman, as I have documented many times, can’t get over the Triple-A hurdle. I doubt they want to try to move Rodriguez into a relief role (even if they thought about it, they need the starting depth now). Danny Watson and Zach Messinger are emergency options. Watson is tall with a funky delivery, but 2026 results are mixed. Messinger is a bulk guy.
That leaves us with trade options. There will be a couple of thousand relievers available at the deadline. Some will hit, some will miss, and nobody knows which bucket anyone will fall into. That’s the nature of relief pitching.
Scranton (43-41) (Defeated Norfolk, 3-2)
3B Jonathan Ornelas: 2-for-4, RBI, CS (4), K
One day after falling under .300 for the first time since the season’s second game, he goes over it again (.301).
C J.C. Escarra: 0-for-3, BB
2B Marco Luciano: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
DH Yanquiel Fernandez: 0-for-3, BB, K
1B Tyler Hardman: 1-for-4
LF Cole Gabrielson: 1-for-4
The organizational outfielder is 5-for-20 since his promotion.
CF Duke Ellis: 1-for-3, R, SB (34)
Ellis is 34-for-38 stealing bases.
RF Kenedy Corona: 1-for-3, 3B (1), R, 2 K
SS Owen Cobb: 1-for-3, 2B (3), RBI, R
Cobb is 5-for-18 with three doubles since his promotion.
RHP Alexander Cornielle: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
LHP Will Brian: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
At this level: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 6 BB, 11 K
RHP Rafael Montero: (W, 1-4) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Kervin Castro: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Castro was activated from the injured list. If you don’t remember, he made one appearance for the Yankees earlier this season, allowing one run over two innings.
RHP Danny Watson: (S, 2) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
5.08 ERA (33.2 IP, 28 H, 25 R, 19 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 42 K). After an impressive May (1.42 ERA), he crashed in June (11.88). Here’s hoping for a big July.
Somerset (42-37) (Defeated Hartford, 5-3)
RF Jackson Castillo: 1-for-4, 2B (14), R
Castillo has a 6-game hitting streak (9-for-23; 3 doubles, 1 HR)
CF Jace Avina: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
LF DJ Gladney: 2-for-4, 2B (13), RBI, R, K
3B Coby Morales: 1-for-1, HR (15), 3 RBI, R, 2 BB
Morales is hitting .286 with a .896 OPS (18 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 51 R, 12-for-20 SB). He is on a 5-game hitting streak.
PH-1B Nicholas Torres: 0-for-1, K
I am sure Morales wasn’t happy about this!
C Tomas Frick: 0-for-3, BB, K
DH Manuel Palencia: 1-for-3
1B-3B Josh Moylan: 0-for-3, K
Moylan has experience at 1B/3B/LF. He has never played RF, but probably could in a pinch.
SS Kevin Verde: 1-for-3, HR (1), RBI, R, K
A feel-good moment for the 20-year-old Verde, who is here as an organizational placeholder as we await a promotion of Kaeden Kent and/or Core Jackson.
2B Connor McGinnis: 0-for-3, K
RHP Chase Hampton: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K
There was a rain delay after the 4th inning, but he wasn’t going much further anyway (he was at 62 pitches). Coming off a long-term injury, it shouldn’t be shocking that his command/control is off.
LHP Geoffrey Gilbert: (W, 2-1) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Gilbert’s last outing was on May 12th.
RHP Matt Keating: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
RHP Chris Kean: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
3.34 ERA (35 IP, 29 H, 14 R, 13 ER, 6 HR, 5 BB, 43 K). You would like a lower home run rate, but that K/BB induces drool.
RHP Tony Rossi: (S, 2) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Hudson Valley (35-42) (Lost to Wilmington, 7-4)
2B Kaeden Kent: 1-for-5
As of this writing, he is 8th in minor league baseball with 95 hits. He is hitting .302/.355/.432 in 346 PA with 53 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.
SS Core Jackson: 0-for-4, HBP, CS (7), K
CF Wilson Rodriguez: 1-for-3, RBI, R, BB
.266/.382/.445 in 318 PA (12 doubles, 5 triples, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 49 R, 17-for-22 SB, 15.7% BB, 19.5% K). Impressive.
C Eric Genther: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
1B Kyle West: 0-for-3, 2 RBI, BB
3B Roderick Arias: 1-for-4, RBI, CS (8)
One issue over the years with Arias was how awful he was against LHP. This season, he is 14-for-46 (.304/.375/.478; 2 doubles, 2 HR).
RF Enmanuel Tejeda: 0-for-4, 2 K
DH Josue Gonzalez: 1-for-3, R, SB (5), BB, K
LF Robbie Burnett: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
PR Luis Durango: 0-for-0, 2 SB (9)
He was safe twice, but trying to steal down 7-4 in the 9th is certainly a risky move.
RHP Rory Fox: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, HR
4.92 ERA (71.1 IP, 76 H, 51 R, 39 ER, 11 HR, 21 BB, 74 K). On June 5th, Fox allowed ten runs (three earned) over 4.2 innings. Since then: 3.20 ERA (25.1 IP, 24 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 4 BB, 25 K). Fox entered his debut season with some hype and is starting to live up to it.
RHP Brady Kirtner: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
RHP Brandon Decker: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HR
RHP Hansel Rincon: (L, 1-3) 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
4.07 ERA (24.1 IP, 17 H, 15 R, 11 ER, 0 HR, 16 BB, 39 K). He had eight straight scoreless appearances before tonight.
Tampa (45-34) (Shut out St. Lucie for the third time in four games, 1-0. They have won seven in a row. “Wait! St. Lucie must have a bad offense, right?” Yes is the answer. However, three shutouts in four games is impressive regardless of how good the opposing offense is.)
3B Jackson Lovich: 1-for-4, 2 K
Lovich has hit well, though he has struck out at least once in 13 straight games. His strikeout rate hasn’t spiked much during this period (from 27.2% to 28.2%), but it is on the high side.
2B Hans Montero: 1-for-4
LF Luis Puello: 2-for-4, 2B (9), 2 K
“Has Puello always hit like this?” No. In the FCL last season, he hit .227/.290/.361 with three home runs in 39 games. However, in 2024, he hit .361/.439/.516 in 37 DSL games (his second taste of the level). Bottom line is we ride the wave and see where it goes.
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 0-for-4, 2 K
RF Brando Mayea: 1-for-4, 2B (6), R, 2 K
1B David McCann: 0-for-4, 4 K
DH Engelth Urena: 2-for-4, RBI
Urena’s first multi-hit game since June 3rd.
C Ediel Rivera: 1-for-4, 2 K
CF Isael Arias: 0-for-3, 2 K
LHP Henry Lalane: (W, 4-1) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K
I would say this is Lalane’s best start of his career. However, he tossed seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts and zero walks last time out. Wow. Lalane owned a 7.04 ERA after his start on May 10th. It is now 2.74 over 62.1 innings (40 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 1 HR, 22 BB, 81 K). As for the Savant data, he was once again humming, maxing out at 97 MPH. When he throws that hard, his slider/change combination becomes devastating, as evidenced by generating 13 misses on 18 swings with the slider and five misses on seven swings with the changeup. Yes, his run lately makes him a prime candidate for a promotion. It also turns him into desirable trade bait.
RHP Greysen Carter: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Carter maxed at 99.6 MPH. He did hit a batter, but at least kept the walks out of the boxscore.
LHP Jose Ledesma: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Matthew Tippie (S, 3): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Tippie escaped the bases loaded, two outs jam in the 9th.
FCL Yankees (22-23) (Lost to the Phillies, 4-3, in a rain-shortened affair)
3B Richard Matic: 0-for-3, R, BB
His ability to get on base continues, though the hits have been less frequent lately. He is 4-for-23 over his last six games, though he has walked four times.
LF Wilberson De Pena: 0-for-2, R, BB, K
C Queni Pineda: 2-for-3, 2B (6), 2 RBI, R, K
Pineda is a .262/.426/.423 career hitter over 106 games with the DSL/FCL.
SS Leni Done: 0-for-2, HBP, K
CF Jose Castro: 1-for-3, RBI, SB (22)
Castro has 60 stolen bases in 97 career games.
DH Francisco Vilorio: 0-for-3, 2 K
2B Dexters Peralta: 0-for-2, BB, K
RF Estivenzon Montero: 1-for-3, K
1B Justin Capellan: 1-for-3
RHP Sabier Marte: (L, 0-2) 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
5.77 ERA (34.1 IP, 34 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 4 HR, 16 BB, 41 K)
RHP Manuel Cruz: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
DSL Yankees (14-9) (Defeated the DSL Angels, 9-2)
CF Isaias Castillo: 1-for-5, 2 R, BB
DH Stiven Marinez: 2-for-5, HR (5), 3 RBI, 2 R, SB (15), BB
By the time Anthony Volpe retires with 750 career hits, Marinez should be ready to take over.
RF Yostin Pena: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 SB (16)
.386/.468/.682 in 109 PA. He has a whopping 41 RBI and 35 runs in 22 games. Additionally, he has walked (16) more often than he has struck out (15).
SS Juan Torres: 0-for-4, BB
Torres has a 16-game on-base streak.
C Juan Martinez: 2-for-5, 2B (6), 2 RBI, K
He continues to be a hitting machine, as he is 23-for-56 with six doubles.
2B Alfred Ciriaco: 1-for-3, R, SB (1), 2 BB, K
3B Emmanuel Orozco: 1-for-2, R, SB (5), 2 BB, K
1B Jose Peralta: 0-for-2, R, 3 BB, K
RHP Victor De Leon: 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
The 18-year-old’s strongest start.
RHP Freddy Lopez (W, 2-0): 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
RHP Breidy Adames: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
DSL Bombers (10-13) (Lost to the DSL Marlins, 6-3)
SS Dariel Santana: 0-for-2, SF, RBI, R, SB (11), BB, K
About as action-packed as an 0-for-2 day can be. The 18-year-old is 11-for-11 stealing bases in 13 games.
DH Mani Cedeno: 0-for-4, 2 K
1B Poly Ojeda: 1-for-3, RBI
3B Adrian Feliz: 1-for-2, 3B (1), 2 R, BB
RF Sebastian Pinto: 1-for-1, SF, RBI, HBP
LF Eddison Charles: 1-for-2, BB
RHP Higor Requena: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K