Tribe not only pain in neck for Yanks
One day after playing just three innings in and leaving with neck tightness, Joey Gallo was not in the Yankees’ lineup for Sunday’s rubber match against Cleveland. Brett Gardner manned Gallo’s spot in left, with Aaron Judge in center field and Giancarlo Stanton in right.
“When he left here (Saturday) after getting treatment throughout the day, he felt pretty good,” Aaron Boone said.
Gallo’s neck started “barking” after his first at-bat on Saturday and Boone removed him before he could make a second. Prior to his shortened day at the office, Gallo had hit five home runs in his previous 16 plate appearances.
Gardner’s start in left field was just his second since July 30, the day after the Yankees traded for Gallo. Boone said he prefers playing Stanton in right field at Yankee Stadium. Stanton made two starts in left field during the Subway Series at Citi Field and started all three games in left when the Yankees were in Baltimore earlier this week. The Gardner-Judge-Stanton setup graced only one starting lineup this season, when Boone used it on Sept. 7 for a home game against Toronto.
Estevan Florial was also up with the Yankees for Sunday’s game. Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday night to open a roster spot, as he’s typically been after he pitches.
YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME
Kyle Higashioka caught Sunday, which is standard procedure when Gerrit Cole is on the mound. But with Gary Sanchez’s recent slew of defensive problems, each time he rides the bench it presents a little more intrigue.
Boone said after Saturday’s game, in which Sanchez missed a pop up above his head, that he’s “gotta make that play” and both Sanchez and Higashioka would play down the stretch. When asked about his catching situation prior to Sunday’s tilt, Boone reiterated his decisions are based on winning each day’s game.
“I’m going to try and put out who gives us the best chance to win every day,” Boone said. “That goes for the entire lineup. All of it matters.”
Defense has not been the Yankees’ strong suit this season, and that’s not just because of Sanchez. Gleyber Torres booted and overthrew his way off of shortstop, and entering Sunday’s game the third-base crew had combined for 20 errors, fourthmost of any American League team. DJ LeMahieu aded to that total on Sunday when he tried to side-saddle a ground ball and watched it skitter into left field. It was the fifth error LeMahieu has committed in 28 starts at third.
When confronted with the idea that the Yankees might need to prioritize defense in their offseason roster construction plans, Boone said the team will deal with that later.
“I’m not even close to looking at that right now,” Boone said. “That’s for after the season is over.”
PITCHING DOWN THE STRETCH
Boone has been saying for a while that Luis Severino is close to returning and could be an option for the bullpen. Each passing day in which that doesn’t happen means the Yankees are rapidly running out of time for that idea to become reality. Severino has not pitched in a game since Aug. 8 at Double-A but threw in a simulated game at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
All signs from Boone point to Severino being activated for the real thing sometime this week.
“Potentially Sevy could be next (to come off the injured list),” Boone said. “We’ll see where he is today and everything. We view it as anything from one inning to two or three-inning scenarios.”
Domingo German logged two innings at Triple-A on Saturday, facing 10 hitters and striking out three. Unsurprisingly, the staff will become an all-hands-on-deck operation for these final few weeks.
“Good chance his next one is with us in a couple days,” Boone said of German’s next outing. “Potential for all of it. I think you understand our situation.”
Finally, Boone said Cole will pitch Friday’s series opener at Fenway Park. Cole was roughed up on Sunday, as Cleveland scalded the ball against him all afternoon and scored seven runs on the Yankees’ ace in 5.2 innings. Boone also said that Jameson Taillon “had a good bullpen” on Saturday and did some pitcher’s fielding practice. The plan for Taillon is to throw another bullpen session, get in a rehab game, then come back to the rotation after that.