NEW YORK—The Yankees continue to make moves at the catchers position. after the team sent down lefty catcher, J.C. Escarra, who has struggled offensively this season, posting a 38 WRC+ and an OPS of .493, he was recalled from AAA and placed the struggling Austin Wells on the 10-day IL with cervical headaches.

Manager Aaron Boone told the media Saturday that Wells first reported the headaches after Friday’s 5-3 loss to the Red Sox that saw another 0-3 from the bat of Wells. The Yankees have instructed rest for Wells, and doctors will run "a battery of tests" on Wells and his neck in the coming days.

The Yankees recalled righty catcher Ali Sanchez from AAA Scranton. Sanchez is not much of an offensive threat, posting a career 24 WRC+ and a career OPS of .454 in parts of four seasons.

The first pitch on Sunday will be at 1:35pm on YES Network and the Gotham Sports App.

Here is how the Yankees will line up today:

The Yankees are rolling out the same lineup they originally had yesterday before the announced rainout, still facing Ranger Suarez.

Catcher Ali Sanchez is getting his first start for the Yankees, catching Will Warren. He will get a chance to steal at-bats from Wells, especially against left-handed pitching. Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero are both in the Yankees lineup, with Caballero in right field instead of Spencer Jones, who had three hits last night. Caballero has been the far superior defender at shortstop this season, so that’s interesting.

Here is how the Red Sox will line up today:

Pitching Matchup

Yankees: RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.89)

The kid who grew up rooting for the Red Sox will face them for the third time in his career, including the postseason. Schlittler struggled in his last start, giving up a career-high four earned runs. Schlittler’s velocity was also down, but he attributed that to his mechanics being off in the outing. The Yankees will hope that Schlittler is on today because they need a win before their six-game road trip to Cleveland and Toronto.

Here is how Schlittler has fared against the Red Sox in his career:

Red Sox: LHP Ranger Suárez (2-3, 3.38)

The Yankees beat Ranger Suárez up in Boston earlier this season. Though they scored four runs, it was enough to take down their foe. Historically, Suarez has struggled a bit against the Yankees, posting a 4.38 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched.

Here is how Suarez has fared against the Yankees in his career:

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NEW YORK—The Yankees made some late-night roster moves, seeking offense from the catchers position. The team sent down lefty catcher, J.C. Escarra, who has struggled offensively this season, posting a 38 WRC+ and an OPS of .493.

The Yankees recalled righty catcher Ali Sanchez from AAA Scranton. Sanchez is not much of an offensive threat, posting a career 24 WRC+ and a career OPS of .454 in parts of four seasons.

Read More about the Roster Move

First pitch Friday will be at 7:35pm and will be nationally televised on FOX.

Here is how the Yankees will line up today:

Catcher Ali Sanchez is getting his first start for the Yankees, catching Will Warren. He will get a chance to steal at-bats from Wells, especially against left-handed pitching. Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero are both in the Yankees lineup, with Caballero in right field instead of Spencer Jones who had three hits last night. Caballero has been the far superior defender at shortstop this season, so that’s interesting.

Here is how the Red Sox will line up today:

Pitching Matchup

Yankees RHP Will Warren (7-1, 3.22)

Will Warren has made a ton of improvements in 2026 from where he was in 2025. Still, last season, Warren struggled against the Red Sox, posting a 9.42 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. This time around, Warren will look to be better and keep the Red Sox offense down, one that has struggled at times this season. The Yankees also give Warren the most run support they give any starter on their staff, which, mentally, I think has helped Warren a bit this season.

Here is how Warren has fared against the Red Sox in his career:

Red Sox LHP Ranger Suárez (2-3, 3.38)

The Yankees beat Ranger Suárez up in Boston earlier this season. Though they scored four runs, it was enough to take down their foe. Historically, Suarez has struggled a bit against the Yankees, posting a 4.38 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched.

Here is how Suarez has fared against the Yankees in his career:

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NEW YORK——The Yankees lost the first game of three against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium by a score of 5-3. With that, the Yankees dropped to 37-26 on the season.

Turning Point

Early in the outing, Ryan Weathers looked good. The Red Sox were getting hard contact off the bat, but they were outs. Then, the tides changed in the third inning when the Red Sox hit back-to-back one-out singles, then a walk to load the bases. An RBI groundout and a Baltimore chop later, the Yankees lost their 1-0 lead, never to regain it.

Star Performances

• Ben Rice continues to punish the baseball. He took Sonny Gray deep for the second time in his career (he’s currently 4-4 career off Gray). With Judge out of the Yankees lineup, Rice is going to need to carry a lot of the heavy lifting. Rice ranks second in baseball in OPS, 1.030. He is an MVP candidate, but other Yankees bats need to wake up.

• Spencer Jones had his first career extra-base hit today. Against Gray, Jones was 3-3 with two singles, a double, and an RBI. If Jones can continue to contribute to the Yankees lineup, they should be able to better tread water without Judge.

Defense/Little Things

• Could this have been a double play? In the third inning, a ball on the ground off the bat of Red Sox Wilyer Abreu, fielded by Anthony Volpe looked to me like it could have been an inning-ending double play, or at least the forceout at second base, but the Yankees got neither. It led to two Boston runs.

• A lazy play by Jazz Chisholm Jr. led to two Red Sox runs. It looked like Chisholm Jr. had an opportunity to catch a line drive that went under his glove. It led to a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Wilson Contreras. Those were the deciding runs of the game. Brutal.

Box Score

What’s Next?

The Yankees will look to even up the series tomorrow against the Red Sox. For the Yankees, they will send out RHP Will Warren, and the Red Sox will send out lefty Ranger Suarez. The first pitch will be at 7:15pm on FOX and WFAN.

NEW YORK—The Yankees will be tested over the next two to three months without Aaron Judge. In years past, like 2023, a long-term injury to Judge would have, or did, sink their season. That should not be the case in 2026 with the Yankees having tremendous depth.

"I think we got a lot of different players that are more than capable.” Said Cashman, who met the media today. “Some are struggling so far, some are thriving. Just the ebbs and flows of the season"

Cashman is correct on one thing, there are a few parts of the Yankees lineup that are struggling and will need to pick it up to help the offense withstand the Judge injury. The main culprits are the catching position coming from Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra. The Yankees have the second lowest WRC+, 52 (league average is 100), from the catcher position in all of baseball. The Yankees will need that to improve drastically.

The Yankees are also missing the lineup contributions of Giancarlo Stanton right about now. While Spencer Jones’ recall should hopefully provide some power, it’s nothing compaird to what Stanton usally provided the Yankees lineup.

“It’s great that he’s [Stanton’s] going through the motions now, and so your talking two weeks, you talking three weeks down the line, he’s probably legitimately more likely on the radar, so it just every day now, for the most part, is important.

“He’s cleared to do obviously a lot, and now he’s just building up, and, and so look forward to hopefully those weeks going quick. So I’d love to get him back in the lineup, but obviously only when he’s physically cleared to do so. And I’m glad he’s healthy enough now to, that we can start seeing the tunnel approaching where he can clear cell and we can rejoin the party, he’s been missed.”

Stanton will not come with the Yankees on their six-game road trip to Cleveland and Toronto next week, so the hope for the Yankees is that Stanton will rejoin the roster when they return to the Stadium.

Cashman was also asked if the Judge injury would hinder the team’s current deadline plans two months out.

“No, I don’t think so.” He said. “I guess it’s a good question, because it’s something I didn’t consider, but I wouldn’t—I mean, if we expect them back, which we do, then I don’t see why that would impact something for the deadline, so we just got to hold the fort, you know, hold that spot nice and warm for him when he returns.”

Judge will certainly be missed but will return at some point this season if all goes well, and coupled with players who will return from the IL over the next few weeks, the Yankees should be able to tread water while Judge gets healthy.

NEW YORK—The Yankees will play their fourth game without Aaron Judge and their first game with Spencer Jones recalled from AAA Scranton.

Judge suffered a fractured first rib on his right side and will be shut down and re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks. If all goes well, Judge will be able to begin baseball activities at that point. If not, well, we’re in for a long summer.

Jones didn’t have the best introduction to the big leagues in May, but he was working on some swing adjustments at AAA and was hot as of late. The Yankees are hoping Jones shows off the power at the MLB-level this time around.

First pitch Friday will be at 7:05pm on YES Network and the Gotham Sports App.

Here is how the Yankees will line up today:

Jones will get the start in right field as Jose Caballero gets the night off. Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells make their returns to the lineup for the game tonight. Have to wonder why Volpe is back at shortstop over Caballero, who proves to be the better option.

Here is how the Red Sox will line up today:

Friday’s Pitching Matchup

Yankees LHP Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52)

The Yankees were one of eight teams hot after Weathers’ services this past offseason, and he has not disappointed. While the home run rate, 1.55 per nine innings, it’s a bit high, his 29.0% strikeout rate ranks in the 89th percentile. The Red Sox as an offense strike out 22.0% of the time, so Weathers should match up well with them.

This will be the first time Weathers has faced the Red Sox, but this is how he’s fared against some of the Red Sox hitters that have faced him:

Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06)

Gray has faced the Yankees a few times in his career, and their lineup as a whole has decent numbers against Gray. In his career at Yankee Stadium, Gray has posted a 6.06 ERA in 22 games, 18 starts. This season, Gray has been one of the bright spots of a rather dim Red Sox team, posting a 3.06 ERA in 50 innings pitched.

Here is how Gray has fared against the Yankees in his career:

NEW YORK—Aaron Judge remains out of the Yankees lineup ahead of the series finale against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium.

First pitch Wednesday will be at 1:35pm on YES Network and the Gotham Sports App.

Here is how the Yankees will line up today:

Austin Wells is out of the lineup in a day game after a night game. Anthony Volpe is also getting a day off after back-to-back not great offensive performances. Max Schuemann will be in right field tonight with Jose Caballero at shortstop.

Here is how the Guardians will line up today:

Wednesday’s Pitching Matchup

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (1-2, 3.32)

Since returning from loose bodies in his elbow, Rodón struggled in his first two outings of 2026, but his last two outings have been much better, including six innings of one-run ball against the Athletics in Sacramento last Friday to earn his first win of 2026.

Here is how Rodón has fared against the Guardians in his career:

Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (3-5, 5.25)

Cecconi has not had a great start to 2026, posting a 4.62 ERA over his past 37.0 innings. This is a starter the Yankees should be able to handle today, even without Judge in the lineup.

Here is how Cecconi has fared against the Yankees in his career (two starts):

NEW YORK — The Yankees lost their second straight game and their third out of their last four and are 0-2 to open June, dropping the second game of three against the Guardians 5-4 at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees recorded just four hits in the game and were not able to make big noise in the game, still missing Aaron Judge in their lineup. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jose Caballero both hit home runs.

The Turning Point

Gerrit Cole had not given up a run this season. He gave up three home runs today. The rest of the outing was still solid, with him not throwing a ton of pitches across his outing.

The Yankees only had one walk, and it was to lead off the game from Trent Grisham. The bottom third of the lineup did not reach base tonight (0-9). With Judge not in the lineup, the bottom of the Yankees lineup needs to be more productive.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Gerrit Cole’s location was not as precise as it was in his first two outings, and it needed to be. The Guardians approach today seemed to be to pull fly balls, and in Yankee Stadium, they leave the ballpark. That was what bit him tonight, and I’m sure going foward Cole will be better than that.

• Offensive Catalyst: Cody Bellinger had two sacrifice flies in the game, including a big one in the bottom of the ninth inning to no avail. The Yankees were able to convert with runners on third and less than two outs.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will look to avoid being swept at home for the first time since 2024 tomorrow, sending Carlos Rodon to the mound. The Guardians will send out RHP Clade Cecconi (3-5, 5.25). The game will be at 1:35pm EST and will air on YES Network.

NEW YORK—Is it doomsday? Just as it looked like the Yankees were turning some fortunes around after a 5-1 road trip with an offensive explosion, Tuesday’s lineup comes out missing the biggest key for the Yankees in recent seasons, their captain, Aaron Judge.

The Judge Injury

Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced pregame that Judge has been “dealing with some shoulder soreness” (the right clavicle area) for a few weeks. The team later clarified that Judge has a right rib bone bruise, and he’s feeling the pain through his shoulder. Boone added that the symptoms were progressing over the weekend in West Sacramento, where Judge went 2-12 with two walks and was removed from Sunday’s blowout win early.

Judge will meet today with team doctors to determine whether this will be an IL stint or a day-to-day issue. Judge struggled for most of the month of May, and an injury like this could be the culprit. The Yankees should hope that a few days of rest, even a 10-day IL stint, should do the trick and hopefully avoid further issue.

"Could be a few days, could be longer. I don't know for sure.” Said Boone. “It's kind of based on how he's feeling day-by-day, but hopefully we avoided something serious.”

Other Injury Updates

• Giancarlo Stanton will face live pitching tomorrow. He was seen doing running drills at Yankee Stadium, progressing in his rehab. Stanton may be able to be activated without a rehab assignment, but hitting is the first step.

• Jasson Dominguez could begin a rehab assignment on his shoulder injury Friday.

• Max Fried has increased his throwing from 75 feet, increasing the intensity, and Boone told NYDN that Fried is responding well. He will meet with doctors today to see if he can continue ramping up.

KANSAS CITY — The Yankees swept the Royals for the second time this season. The Yankees won 7-0, and are now 34-22 on the season. With the Rays being losers of four straight, the Yankees now sit just 1.5 games back in the AL East.

The Yankees rode another strong outing by Gerrit Cole earning his first win of the season, and their offense putting up good at-bats and seven runs. Sometimes you need a get-right series, and the Royals seem to always provide that to the Yankees.

The Turning Point

The Yankees were up 2-0 in the sixth inning and loaded the bases with no outs looking for more. After a sharp line out by Jose Caballero and a strikeout by the always struggling Austin Wells, there were two outs with the bases loaded for Paul Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt worked a long at-bat to earn a walk and an RBI. It lead to a two-run double by Rice, which gave the Yankees three big insurance runs in the sixth innings.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Gerrit Cole might be all the way back following his Tommy John surgery. Last time out, Cole spun six shutout innings, striking out two and walking three. This time out, he cut the walks out, dialed up the strikeouts and pitched six and two-thirds shutout innings against the Royals. His velocity was good as well in this outing, which is also encouraging.

• Offensive Catalyst: Ben Rice continues to hit. He had three RBI’s in the game, a one-run triple and a two-run single. The two-run single gave the Yankees some much-needed insurance in the late innings. Rice also continues to hit the ball hard this season, and has been so impressive for the Yankees, an has really performed like a homegrown Juan Soto.

• Injury & Roster Wire: Giancarlo Stanton had imaging done on his knee, according to Aaron Boone.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will have an off day tomorrow, traveling to West Sacramento to take on the Athletics. The Yankees will send out LHP Carlos Rodón (0-2, 4.15) against the A’s on Friday in the opener. The Athletics have not announced a starter. First pitch will be at 9:40pm on YES network.

KANSAS CITY — The Yankees needed a laugher, and their lineup delivered. The Yankees won 15-1 over the Royals. They improve to 33-22 on the 2026 season.

The Yankees scored four runs in the first inning against lefty Bailey Falter and never looked back. The Yankees recorded 24 hits in the game, a season high to this point. Multiple players had multi-hit games, including Amed Rosario and Ben Rice, and Anthony Volpe who had three-hit games. Everyone had a hit in the game.

The Turning Point

The Yankees were squaring the ball up early against Falter, but Grisham and Judge were retired on two pitches. Bellinger then homered, making it 1-0, then Goldschmidt doubled.

This challenge by Aaron Boone and the Yankees changed the course of the whole game. Rice lined a ball to right field that Jac Caglianone appeared to catch, but did not have full control when the ball hit the ground. Replay overturned the call on the field of an out, and made it an RBI single.

That prompted Rosario to take advantage of the overturned call giving the Yankees two more runs on a two-run homer, and the Yankees never looked back after the first inning.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Cam Schlittler was once again outstanding. He lowered his season ERA to 1.50 with his six innings giving up just one run, a solo home run to Bobby Witt Jr. The game was about the offense, but Schlittler was dominant, not issuing a walk. Schlittler continues to bolster his candidacy to be the AL Cy Young winner.

• Offensive Catalyst: Amed Rosario had four of the Yankees 22 hits in the game, including two two-run home runs. It was Rosario’s fourth career multi-home run game, and his second this season. Rosario had been in a mini slump coming into the game, so recording four hits should help him break out.

Also, Yankee catchers continue to rake in Kansas City, with Austin Wells recording three hits tonight.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will go for the sweep of the Royals tomorrow with Gerrit Cole, who twirled six shutout innings against the pesky Rays lineup last week. For the Royals, it will be young left-hander Noah Cameron (2-3, 4.72), who the Yankees hung five earned runs, (seven overall) on him last month.

KANSAS CITY — The Yankees somehow found a way. The Yankees took the game by a score of 4-3. It was a one-run game win for the Yankees, something they have struggled with in 2026.

It took a late comeback from one of the more improbable players on the roster, Anthony Volpe, to deliver the go-ahead hit.

The Turning Point

The Yankees had a 2-0 lead at one point. The Royals got a run back after Will Warren walked three batters in the second inning, giving way to a sacrifice fly. Salvador Perez took Will Warren deep in the sixth inning to tie the game.

After Brent Headrick and Jake Bird combined to pitch a scoreless seventh inning, Bird stayed in and served up a go-ahead solo home run to Bobby Witt Jr.. Bird has been solid at times in 2026, but should not be pitching in high leverage, like ever.

Despite this, the Yankees strung together a comeback. Sometimes, it goes back to old sayings, and this one was a bloop and a blast, except the blast never came, it was more of a liner. A broken bat infield single by Paul Goldschmidt followed by a double down the line by Jazz Chisholm Jr. with one out gave the Yankees a prime chance to at least tie, if not go ahead, like the Yankees did.

Volpe took a 1-2 pitch and lined a sinker off Royals closer Lucas Erceg and lined it into left-center for a two-run single. It gave the Yankees a much needed 4-3 lead, and eventual win when closer David Bednar slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Will Warren pitched six innings giving up only two runs. That’s a good outing for Warren, given what he’s done in the past this season. Walking three batters in and inning is a recipe for disaster, but Warren still turned in a quality outing.

• Offensive Catalyst: Cody Bellinger had a home run today. That’s fun. It was his first home run on the road in 2026. It gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. Bellinger has been one of the Yankees more consistent, and better hitters in 2026, but not on the road. Bellinger being able to show off the power on the road is a promising side for the Yankees.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will look to win the series against the Royals tomorrow with Cam Schlittler on the bump against a Royals bullpen game. The Yankees have struggled against opponents bullpen games, but Schlittler has dealt this season, and needs to be on tomorrow. The game will be broadcast on YES network and WFAN.

NEW YORK — Boy did the Yankees need that. It took five games before the Yankees stole one against the Rays. The Yankees won 2-0 on a walk-off two-run home run by Aaron Judge.

The offense was shut down throughout the course of the game, until the bottom of the ninth. Multiple double plays were turned in the game, both offensively and defensively, but the Yankees were able to earn the split against the Rays.

The Turning Point

A walk lead off the bottom of the ninth. Rays reliever Bryan Baker was up 0-2 in the count to Trent Grisham, who had two hits against him in his career. Grisham then took four straight pitches out of the strike zone and drew a walk in front of Aaron Judge.

Judge had two hits in the game, but grounded into one of what was many double plays in the game. After a mound visit by the Rays, Baker delt a 92.5 mph Sinker on the inside corner that Judge powered out of the ballpark for a walk-off two-run home run to right center field. If anyone needed a big hit like that, it was Judge, given his recent slump.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Ryan Weathers was spectacular. He twirled seven shutout innings against an aggressive and scrappy Rays offense. There were a fair mix of strikeouts, but also a lot of first-pitch outs, which helped him maintain his pitch count to under 100 in the outing.

  The Yankees then gave way to the bullpen, that as always makes you sweat. Tim Hill and Fernando Cruz both had runners on base in their innings, but were able to wiggle out of jams.

• Defensive Wizardry: Cody Bellinger saved the game in the top of the eighth inning. On a day where the Yankees offense was not recording hits, the Yankees needed to lean into the “run prevention” gear they have at times. Grisham threw out Junior Caminero going to third base after Ryan Vilade singled into left. Because of Bellinger’s play, the go-ahead run could not score.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will now head to Kansas City to face the Royals in a three-game series. It will be RHP Will Warren on the mound for the Yankees. For the Royals, it will be RHP Michael Wacha, who has dealt against the Yankees in his career. It will be a 3:40 pm start on ESPN tomorrow for Memorial Day.

NEW YORK — The Yankees and the Rays will have a long day today as the two teams aim to get in the series finale of what is now a two-game series after yesterday’s rainout.

Game Time: 1:35pm EST (Weather Pending) | Location: [Stadium Name]

Broadcast: YES Network / WFAN

Weather: 52 degrees, Rain, Wind E 10 mph

The Matchup on the Bump

For the Yankees, they will be starting LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.58), who has had a really solid start to the season so far. He has not faced the Rays many times in his career, so there is not much data to go off of, but it seems in a small sample that the numbers against Tampa Bay are solid.

Opposite Weathers, the Rays will start RHP Drew Rasmussen (4-1, 3.19). Rasmussen has been no less than dominant every time he takes the mound against the Yankees. They never seem to have an answer for him, and with their offensive struggles as of late, I don’t forecast that fate changing today.

Stat to Watch: Trent Grisham has a .818 OPS against Rassmussen in his career.

Daily Lineups & Tactical Notes

Yankees Lineup

1. CF Grisham

2. RF Judge

3. DH Rice

4. LF Bellinger

5. 1B Goldschmidt

6. 2B Chisholm Jr.

7. SS Caballero

8. 3B McMahon

9. C Wells

   SP: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.58)

Rays Lineup

1. DH Diaz

2. 1B Aranda

3. 3B Caminero

4. RF Vilade

5. LF Simpson

6. C Fortes

7. SS Walls

8. CF Mullins

9. 2B Williams

   SP: RHP Drew Rasmussen (4-1, 3.19)

Lineup Thoughts:

• Aaron Judge is in the midst of his worst career offensive stretch., enduring a brutal 4-for-35 stretch over his last nine games. In those 40 plate appearances, his OPS is .348, with no RBI’s.

• Anthony Volpe is back on the bench with Jose Caballero, who made a game-breaking error on Friday, back in at shortstop.

Roster Moves & Medical Updates

• Giancarlo Stanton will go for more imaging on his calf this week. If it comes back clean, he will ramp up his running program and could miss a rehab assignment all together.

• Jasson Domínguez has advanced to tee-and-toss exercises, Aaron Boone said Friday. Dominguez could be on a Minor League rehab assignment by the first week of June

Bullpen Availability

Due to the rain out yesterday, everyone in the bullpen should be good to go. The unit is well-rested.

NEW YORK — An absolute gut punch for the Yankees. They lost their third straight game tonight, losing to the Rays 4-2, dropping to 30-22.

The team has scored a total of three runs in their past three games. They good a good outing from Gerrit Cole, but spoiled the outing with bad defense in the eighth inning.

The Turning Point

After getting out of a big time jam in the top of the seventh inning, the Yankees got right back into a jam in the eighth inning. The four-run inning for the Rays was all they needed, and it all started on an E6 by Caballero.

The Rays would go on to score four runs, aided by Tim Hill throwing a ball into center field that could have been a big double play and prevented two of the four runs from potentially scoring.

The Yankees bullpen needs to be better in spots like this, and getting big outs. Part of the reason the Yankees have been losing is their poor bullpen and their inability to finish games.

Game Notes & Takeaways

• Mastery on the Mound: Gerrit Cole made his return to the mound today for the Yankees, and it was a good one. Cole fired six inning, not giving up a run. He had good life on all of his pitches, but his changeup, but command of that pitch will come in time.

It was good to see Cole as good and sharp as he was in this outing, considering the major surgery he just came back from. Cole will be expected to carry a big load going forward for the Yankees, and tonight against a scrappy Rays offense was a good sign.

• Offensive Catalyst: Austin Wells deserves some love. He had two really good at-bats in this game, one resulting in a solo home run to give the Yankees a 1-0 fifth inning lead. His at-bats to that point had been poor. It was good to see Wells wake up offensively a bit and show off some power.

If Wells could be a threat to go deep in this lineup, it lengthen things out a lot. I don’t know if it’s sustainable long-term for Wells, but the Yankees still believe there is offense in the tank for Wells, it’s up to him to show it.

On the Horizon

The Yankees will look to even the series against the Rays tomorrow. It will be left-hander Ryan Weathers tomorrow for the Yankees against Drew Rasmussen for the Rays. First pitch is scheduled (weather pending) for 1:35pm EST. The game will be broadcasted on the YES network and Gotham Sports App.

NEW YORK — The day has arrived. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is making is long awaited return to the mound post Tommy John surgery. He will take on the first place Rays in the series opener.

Game Time: 7:05pm | Location: Yankee Stadium

Broadcast: YES Network / WFAN Radio

Weather: 61 degrees, Cloudy, Wind E 10 mph

The Matchup on the Bump

Gerrit Cole makes his return to a Yankees team that needs a spark as of late. Cole is expected to be on a pitch count, exactly what the number is not yet know. His velocity was sitting in the high-90’s on his rehab assignment, so I would expect consistency with his velocity.

Nick Martinez has been among the best pitchers in the American League this season, and a surprise to most in 2026, after a rough 2025. The Yankees need to do what has gotten them to the second-best record in the AL to this point, and that is be patient and take pitches and clobber mistakes. Ben Rice and Aaron Judge both have solid numbers against Martinez in their careers, and both have been scuffling a bit.

What to Watch: The Yankees have representative numbers against Nick Martinez in their careers, so if they can put pressure and score against him, things would go much smoother for the game as a whole.

Daily Lineups & Notes

Yankees Lineup

1. CF Grisham

2. RF Judge

3. DH Rice

4. LF Bellinger

5. 1B Goldschmidt

6. 2B Chisholm Jr.

7. SS Caballero

8. 3B McMahon

9. C Wells

   SP: RHP Gerrit Cole (Season Debut)

Rays Lineup

1. LF Simpson

2. 3B Caminero

3. 1B Aranda

4. DH Díaz

5. 2B Palacios

6. RF DeLuca

7. CF Mullins

8. C Fortes

9. SS Walls

   SP: RHP Nick Martinez (4-1, 1.51)

Lineup Thoughts:

• Trent Grisham makes his lineup return after leaving Wednesday’s game with a knee issue.

• Jose Caballero is at shortstop over Anthony Volpe. Aaron Boone told the media that Volpe will get work at second base on days he’s not at shortstop.

Roster Moves & Medical Updates

• Following last night’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Yovanny Cruz and OF Spencer Jones to AAA Scranton.

• Ahead of tonight’s game, the Yankees activated UTIL Jose Caballero and RHP Gerrit Cole from the injured list.

Bullpen Availability

GTG: David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick, Tim Hill

LONG: Ryan Yarbrough

DOWN: Paul Blackburn

Keys to the Game

• With the Rays scrappy approach to the game of baseball, the Yankees need to play clean defense in this series, and that starts tonight. The team was practicing bunt defense yesterday, and hopefully they can put the good defense to use tonight.

• The pitching and catching battery needs to control the running game. The Rays will steal bases, and the Yankees need to do their best to prevent that from occurring.

NEW YORK — For a series that had a good start for the Yankees, the two final games leave a sour taste in our mouths. The Yankees lost to the Blue Jays 2-0 in the series finale.

Tonight was just the second time this season the Yankees were shut out at Yankee Stadium, fifth time overall.

Pitching Spotlight

Carlos Rodon went five innings and gave up just one run, on a first inning double off the third base bag scored Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who walked and stole second with one out.

His velocity was down a tick today, but it was by far his best outing of the season, and it was really promising to see how his command improved after his last few outings.

Hitting Spotlight

What hitting? The Yankees offense was held to just two hits in the game. Their offense was silenced by the battalion of Blue Jays relievers in their bullpen game. They got nothing going the entire night.

The last two games, their offense has gone right to sleep. Yesterday, there was a legit reason with Trey Yesavage dealing against the Yankees, but tonight the Yankees couldn’t do a thing against the Toronto bullpen. It’s kind of troubling that the offense could not string together at-bats against a pitcher whose stuff is not that good.

Notable

The Yankees still can’t finish off series. They were up 2-0 in the series, and could not complete the series win. It was not bad pitching from the Yankees, it was a bit of bad luck hits from a Yankees perspective, but they count the same in the scorebook.

What’s Next?

The Tampa Bay Rays come to town for a three-game series in The Bronx. It will be a big series for the Yankees, who look to build up some serious ground in the AL East, but it will not be easy. The Rays will send out RHP Nick Martinez (4-1, 1.51) for game 1 of the series, and he’s been lights out this season. For the Yankees, Gerrit Cole will make his long-awaited season debut, returning from Tommy John surgery. First pitch will be at 7:05pm on YES.

NEW YORK — The Yankees and the Blue Jays will square off today for the rubber game of a four game series between the sides. A crucial game for the Yankees to take with the red hot Rays coming to town and having an off day today.

Game Time: 7:05pm | Location: Yankee Stadium

Broadcast: YES Network / WFAN

Weather: 64 degrees, Light Showers, Wind SE 6 mph

The Matchup on the Bump

The Yankees will send out LHP Carlos Rodon for his Yankee Stadium debut tonight. His past two outings have seen flashes of dominance from the 2025 all star, but it’s also seen some emotional collapses with errors and wild pitches and lack of command. It would be beneficial if Rodon had his stuff today and could give the Yankees some decent innings.

For the Blue Jays, it will be a bullpen game. The Jays will be starting RHP Braydon Fisher (2-1, 3.08) in the game, with RHP Spencer Miles (1-0, 2.55) pitching bulk innings out of the bullpen. Miles has never faced the Yankees in his career. It will be his 14th MLB appearance for the Jays, 13th out of the bullpen.

Something to Watch: The Blue Jays will not have closer Luis Varland, set up men Mason Fluharty, Alex Macko, and Jeff Hoffman available in their bullpen today due to workload. That should benefit the Yankees not seeing their highest-leverage arms.

Daily Lineups & Tactical Notes

Yankees Lineup

1. Rice - 0

2. Judge - 9

3. Bellinger - 7

4. Chisholm Jr - 4

5. Goldschmidt - 3

6. Jones - 8

7. McMahon - 5

8. Volpe - 6

9. Escarra - 2

   SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (0-1, 5.63)

Blue Jays Lineup

1. Springer - DH

2. Guerrero Jr. - 3

3. Varsho - 8

4. Okamoto - 5

5. Clement - 6

6. Sosa - 4

7. Straw - 9

8. Valenzuala - 2

9. Schneider - 7

   SP: RHP Braydon Fisher (2-1, 3.08)

Lineup Thoughts:

• J.C. Escarra is catching, taking the struggling Austin Wells out of the Yankees lineup.

• Aaron Judge has been struggling offensively in his last 11 games, including striking out four times last night. They have scored a good deal of runs this series, but Judge needs to break out of his slump.

Roster Moves & Medical Updates

• Trent Grisham is out of the lineup today after injuring his left knee sliding into second base in yesterday’s loss. He underwent imaging earlier today, which revealed no structural damage, just some inflammation/bruising. He will be available off the bench in an emergency situation.

Bullpen Availability

GTG: Fernando Cruz, Yovanny Cruz, Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, Camilo Doval

LONG: Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough

DOWN: Jake Bird, David Bednar (?)

Keys to the Game

• Carlos Rodon needs to be on today and not get emotional on the mound. He needs to keep control and be able to go at least five innings.

• The offense needs to score a ton of runs. It’s a bullpen game for Toronto, and they are missing their biggest arms in their bullpen, so it would be a great day to score runs and take some pressure off the pitching staff.

NEW YORK — The Yankees lost a Cam Schlittler game. They lost 2-1 to Toronto, struggling against Trey Yesavage offensively and unable keep the pesky Toronto lineup from scoring.

Pitching Spotlight

Cam Schlittler was dialed in until the seventh inning. That inning saw an infield single, a walk, and a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs. An RBI walk in a 10-pitch battle with Andres Giminez ended the night of Schlittler and gave way to Jake Bird, who only allowed a sac fly and kept the game in reach for the Yankees.

Schlittler’s stuff was still good in this outing. It was a true shame it ended on such a poor note, with him leaving the bases loaded and no outs.

He still struck out seven in the outing.

Hitting Spotlight

There were not many. The Yankees did not muster much offensively off rookie Right-hander Trey Yesavage in his six innings of work.

The Yankees did have a chance in the seventh inning of this game with two bloop hits, but a Rosaro flyout and a McMahon tapper on a 2-0 pitch keep the Yankees from scoring.

The offense did score one run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but it was too little too late.

Notable

Trent Grisham left today’s game with left knee discomfort. He will undergo imaging tomorrow on said knee. It looked like he injured it going to second base on what was a bloop double on the line.

What’s Next?

The Yankees and Blue Jays are scheduled to play a night game tomorrow for the rubber game of the four game series. It will be Carlos Rodon against a Bullpen game for the Blue Jays. If the game is played (weather), it will be at 7:05pm on YES.

NEW YORK — Tonight will be a box-office pitching matchup in The Bronx. The Yankees will send out the lead AL Cy Young Award contender Cam Schlittler

Game Time: 7:05 PM ET | Location: Yankee Stadium

Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video / MLB Network / WFAN

Weather: 75 degrees, Thunderstorms, Wind 16 mph

The Matchup on the Bump

Cam Schlittler has come into his own in 2026. He owns the best ERA in the American League through his first 10 starts with 1.35, and 68 strikeouts in 60 innings of work. Last season, Schlittler faced the Blue Jays there times, twice in the regular season and once in the postseason. The second of his three starts he struggled giving up four runs in 1.2 innings of work.

On the flip side, Trea Yesavage has faced the Yankees just once, and it was in the postseason. He pitched 5.1 innings of hitless ball up in Toronto. This will be the first time the Yankees face him at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees should be further prepared to face him.

Stat to Watch: Paul Goldschmidt is hitting .600 with RISP with a 1.865 OPS.

Daily Lineups & Tactical Notes

Yankees Lineup

1. Rice - DH

2. Judge. - 9

3. Bellinger - 7

4. Chisholm Jr. - 4

5. Goldschmidt - 3

6. Grisham - 8

7. McMahon - 5

8. Volpe - 6

9. Wells - 2

   SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (6-1, 1.35)

Lineup

1. Springer - DH

2. Guerrero Jr - 3

3. Varsho - 8

4. Okamoto - 5

5. Piñango - 7

6. Clement - 4

7. Sánchez - 9

8. Valenzuela - 2

9. Giménez - 6

1. SP: RHP Trey Yesavage (1-1, 1.40 ERA)

Lineup Thoughts:

• Ben Rice will lead off for the third time in 2026

• Spencer Jones will be on the bench once again (something to watch with roster moves coming)

Roster Moves & Medical Updates

• Gerrit Cole will officially start Friday’s game agains the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Jose Caballero will be activated prior to Friday’s game against the Rays.

Bullpen Availability

GTG: Jake Bird, Tim Hill, Camilo Doval, Yovanny Cruz

LONG: Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough

DOWN: David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick

Keys to the Game

• The Yankees need to score tonight and give Schlittler, and their bullpen.

NEW YORK — Exhale once again. The Yankees held on to win against Toronto 5-4 and improve their season record to 30-19.

For the second day in a row, Toronto made it close in the bottom of the ninth, but ultimately have won back-to-back one run games.

Pitching Spotlight

Will Warren was not dominant tonight. He gave up three runs across five innings. That being said, he out dueled Dylan Cease, who was one of the league leaders in ERA coming into the outing.

Warren had a rough fourth inning, surrendering three runs, two of them with nobody out. Warren could have melted down against a team that he has not been good against in the past, but he held it down and was able to give the Yankees five strong innings, and earn the win.

Hitting Spotlight

Ben Rice continues to toucher baseballs. Rice now leads the Yankees with RBI’s with 33 and MLB with OPS at 1.068. His presence in the Yankees lineup is much needed, especially with Aaron Judge struggling by his standards this far in the season.

Rice has been impressive so far this season, even after slumping a bit as of late, he still is having clutch at-bats and getting big hits from the Yankees, and their lineup needs it.

Rice has become a mainstay in the Yankees lineup, and the true tandem to Judge, one he has not had since Juan Soto departed. The difference, Rice will be a Yankee for the rest of Judge’s prime.

Ryan McMahon also deserves some flowers. He came into the game with some good numbers against Dylan Cease, and showed us those good numbers today, getting the Yankees right back into the game with a huge three-run home run.

The Yankees could have laid down and died after falling behind 3-0 to Cease, who looked untouchable at times, but they didn’t and were able to come back against one of the better pitchers in baseball is impressive. And McMahon had two big hits tonight as he looks to earn at-bats with Caballero coming back and Volpe playing well.

Notable

Aaron Boone was ejected for the 2nd time in 2026 and 48th time in his career tonight. It came on the heals of two missed plays by second base umpire Brennan Miller, who Boone has a bad history with.

Anthony Volpe attempted to steal second base in the bottom of the fourth inning. He was called out. It looked like he was safe, but replay review did not overturn the call, which left the Yankees without a replay review and Boone mad.

Not having that replay came back to bite them as Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined a sinking liner to center where Dalton Varsho made the catch, according to Miller, though it looked like the ball touched the grass and the Yankees wanted to replay the call, but did not have a challenge. Between innings, Boone got his moneys worth in a fiery ejection.

What’s Next?

Tomorrow night’s game will be box office. The Yankees will send out AL Cy Young lead-contender Cam Schlittler to face the Jays, who touched him up in the regular season, but he shoved against them in the postseason. The Jays will send out young right-hander Trey Yesavage who carved the Yankees up in the ALDS. A battle of the Young Kids. First pitch will be at 7:05 on YES.