Pain in neck
Gallo exits early with tightness
Just as he was heating up, Joey Gallo was forced to take a seat Saturday afternoon.
Gallo left the Yankees’ 11-3 loss to the Indians after three innings because of neck tightness, the team said. He was replaced in left field by Tyler Wade to start the top of the fourth.
Manager Aaron Boone said Gallo got treatment on his neck Friday night, after he hit two home runs, and worked through it Saturday morning before it flared up again.
“After his first at-bat, it was just barking too much on him,” Boone said. “He got some more treatment during the game so we’ll see where we’re at for tomorrow.”
Boone said there was no plan for Gallo to undergo any additional testing.
Coming into the game, Gallo had crushed six home runs in his last six starts, but he popped up in his only at-bat on Saturday.
A day after throwing live batting practice, Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery, shoulder tightness) was “excited about how he’s feeling and how he came out of [Friday],” Boone said. The Yankees were still discussing what his next step would be.
The same was true for Jameson Taillon, who threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Saturday and then went through pitcher’s fielding practice to test the partially torn tendon in his right ankle.
“As far as bullpens and testing it goes, I came out of today really well,” Taillon said. “Hopefully the next one’s in a game of some sort.”
Gerrit Cole will start Sunday, which if he continues to pitch on regular rest, would be his third-tolast start of the regular season. Boone left the door open to Cole coming back on short rest late if the Yankees need it — perhaps if Game 162 is a winand-in scenario — but otherwise he would be lined up to start a potential AL wild-card game.
“I enjoy this time of the year the most,” Cole said.
After Luis Gil gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts over 4 ¹/3 innings Saturday, the Yankees optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre. The Yankees are off Thursday, so they don’t need a fifth starter again until Sept. 28 — at which point Taillon should be back.
Giancarlo Stanton hit his 10th home run in the last 23 games Saturday. That stretch, in part, has coincided with his return to the outfield. He served as the DH on Saturday, but had played 22 of his last 42 starts in the outfield. He has hit .306 with 13 home runs and a .958 OPS during that stretch, while offering the Yankees better lineup flexibility.
“Do I wish we had done it sooner? Yeah. Yeah,” Boone said. “To see him respond to it the way he has physically has been really encouraging.”
Jonathan Loaisiga (strained rotator cuff) continued his throwing program after beginning to play catch Friday.