TIME TO HANG A LEFT
Judge gets look at other side of OF as Stanton takes RF for a spell
Aaron Judge will be getting a look at the other side of the field. The new Yankee captain will be playing left field today against the Cardinals and Thursday against the Red Sox, Boone said on the YES Network Sunday. Boone has been flirting with the idea since the beginning of spring to get Giancarlo Stanton more reps in right field which would open up the DH spot for one of the Yankees’ infielders (Gleyber Torres,
Josh Donaldson or DJ LeMahieu).
“I did mention it to them about, ‘If we need to get Big G in right field at Yankee Stadium, put me in left,’” Judge said on Feb 21. “I don’t mind it. I don’t mind switching around so we can have me, (center fielder Harrison Bader) and Big G out there. We’ll get some reps, hopefully, in spring training and get comfortable out there.”
Number 99 hasn’t played left field since 2016, when he played seven games there for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
The Bombers’ are trying to get more punch in their lineup on a regular basis by playing Stanton in the outfield. The 2017 NL MVP played just 38 games in the field in 2022.
“I think I have more of a flow when I’m an outfielder,” Stanton said. “Being an outfielder, you’re more engaged in the game, whereas (as the) DH, you’re inside a lot of the time staying warm and hitting, kind of watching the game from the TV.
“It’ll continue to be similar as last year,” Stanton said of his workload in the outfield. “I hit a road bump with the (Achilles) injury there (in July), but you’ve got to build up to a similar game plan and see what we can accomplish, putting us in the best scenario to win each night — wherever that is in the
lineup.”
STARTING UP
Aaron Boone is already toying with how to deploy his loaded starting rotation. Gerrit Cole is in line to start Opening Day against the Giants at Yankee Stadium, followed by newly inked southpaw Carlos Rodon — who was roughed up in his spring debut — and Luis Severino closing out the opening three-game series on April 2. The winner of the Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German competition will open up the series against the Phillies on April 3 in the second half of the home stand with Nestor Cortes taking the ball behind them, finalizing the five-man rotation.
Cortes, who was arguably the Yankees’ most effective starter in 2022 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts — is a bit behind schedule due to the hamstring injury that forced him to bow out of the World Baseball Classic. The 28-year-old has yet to appear in a spring game, which would put him at least a game behind the rest of the starters in terms of ramping up for the start of the season.
Regardless of configuration, the Bombers’ stable of arms figures to be one of the most formidable in baseball — even after Frankie Montas went down with a shoulder injury on Feb. 21 — with four All-Stars at the top.
TRAINERS ROOM
Tommy Kahnle is hitting the shelf with biceps tendinitis. The reliever has yet to appear in a spring game and may not after he signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract to return to the Bombers. The timeline for Kahnle’s return seems a bit shaky.
“We’ll see what happens,” Kahnle said. “I’m going to take it slow just so I’m healthy and ready to go.”
The righty — who is being shut down from throwing for 10 days — has experienced this injury multiple times throughout his career. He missed approximately three weeks in 2014 and attempted to pitch through the injury, but ended up getting sent back to the minor leagues.
Kahnle pitched in 13 games for the Dodgers in 2022, recording a 2.84 ERA. The 33-year-old missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery and is about to enter his first full season since the elbow repair.