New York Yankees News

Clarke Schmidt  • SP  •  Yankees

Clarke Schmidt Activated From Injured List, Starting On Saturday

New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt (lat) was activated off the 60-day injured list earlier on Saturday and will return to the bump to face the Chicago Cubs. Schmidt has not made a start since May before being shut down for over three months. The 28-year-old logged eleven 1/3 innings of rehab appearances and reached 70 pitches in his final start, suggesting he may not face a significant innings limit on Saturday afternoon. Before the injury, the right-hander held a strong 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 20:67 BB:K ratio across 60 2/3 innings of work. Schmidt could be worth a look in DFS this afternoon, as the Cubs hold a 23.3% K rate against right-handers.
6 hours ago   
Luis Gil  • SP  •  Yankees

Luis Gil Dominant In Return From Injured List On Friday

New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil was dominant on Friday in his return from the 15-day IL, throwing six shutout innings and striking out seven in the Yankees' 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs. Gil allowed just one hit and walked two batters while picking up the win and improving his record to 13-6. Prior to hitting the IL with a lower back strain Gil had been struggling mightily with his control, posting a 19% BB% in his last four starts while posting a 5.19 ERA in that timespan. Today's outing with just two walks showed a little more control from the 26-year-old, especially when paired with Gil being able to go six innings deep, something he hadn't done since before the All-Star break. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable with getting Gil back in their starting lineups. He will look to string together solid performances when he starts next Wednesday at Yankee Stadium when the Kansas City Royals come to town.
21 hours ago   
Austin Wells  • C  •  Yankees

Austin Wells Back In Yankees Lineup

New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (hand) is back behind the plate and is batting cleanup for Friday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs and left-hander Jordan Wicks. Wells was hit on the right hand by a pitch on Monday and avoided any structural damage, but he was forced to sit out the next two games as a result. The 25-year-old backstop is feeling better after Thursday's off day, though, and will return to the heart of the Bombers' order in a friendly matchup at the friendly confines. Wells will be looking to get back on track after a scorching month at the plate in August, but he's gone hitless in his last nine at-bats with three strikeouts since the calendar flipped to September. It's not the best matchup for Wells, as he's hit just .196 (10-for-51) with none of his 12 home runs on the year against lefties.
Yesterday   
Clay Holmes  • RP  •  Yankees

Clay Holmes Losing Grip On Ninth Inning Duties

New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes could be losing his grip on save opportunities. Jack Curry of the YES Network reported that manager Aaron Boone expressed that the team will get "creative with the closer role in the short term." Boone further expressed that Holmes should continue to be in the mix. While fantasy managers should not expect Holmes to immediately shift to a low-leverage role, his position as the bona fide ninth-inning option is shifting for now. Holmes surrendered four earned runs on Tuesday evening in his third blown save in his past ten innings. While the Yankee skipper did not mention any direct names of those who could see ninth-inning duties, fantasy managers should expect Mark Leiter Jr. to get one of the first chances as he typically pitches in the eighth inning and is worth stashing in deeper leagues if you are lacking in saves.
3 days ago   
Nestor Cortes  • SP  •  Yankees

Nestor Cortes To Make His Next Appearance In Piggyback Role

New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes will serve in a piggyback relief role in his next appearance, either on Friday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field after right-hander Luis Gil (back), or after right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) on Saturday. After that, Cortes will go back into the starting rotation next week to face the division-rival Boston Red Sox. With both Gil and Schmidt returning to the big-league rotation this weekend, it appears the Yankees will move to a six-man starting rotation down the stretch. The 29-year-old Cortes could probably use a little break after surrendering five earned runs on nine hits (one homer) while walking one and fanning just two on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals in a no-decision. Since the All-Star break, the southpaw has an ERA over 5.00 with 34 K's and 10 walks in 43 2/3 frames over eight starts.
3 days ago   
Gerrit Cole  • SP  •  Yankees

Gerrit Cole Will Make His Next Start On Sunday

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (calf) will make his next turn in the starting rotation this Sunday at Wrigley Field versus the hosting Chicago Cubs. Yankees fans and Cole's fantasy managers were holding their collective breath on Tuesday night when the 33-year-old reigning American League Cy Young winner was forced to leave his start early on Monday against the Texas Rangers, but it turned out to be only because of a right-calf cramp. He will be ready to go on Sunday in a pretty neutral pitching matchup, but fantasy managers will want to roll him out there in their starting lineups. Cole got a late start to his 2024 season due to a right-elbow injury, but he appears to be rounding into midseason form at just the right time and has a 1.85 ERA with 40 K's and 11 walks in 34 innings in his last six starts since Aug. 4.
3 days ago   
Clarke Schmidt  • SP  •  Yankees

Clarke Schmidt To Start On Saturday Against Cubs

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will make his long-awaited return from the 60-day injured list and start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Schmidt made three minor-league rehab starts and got up to 70 pitches over 4 2/3 innings in his last start down on the farm. The 28-year-old will be more risky in his first start back in the big leagues since late May because of a lat strain, but if he's floating around on the waiver wire in mixed fantasy leagues, he's worth a look to close out the 2024 regular season. The former 16th overall pick in 2017 out of South Carolina was looking pretty strong in his first 11 starts this year before his injury, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 67 strikeouts over 60 2/3 innings pitched. Schmidt didn't allow over three earned runs in any of his 11 outings to begin the year.
3 days ago   
Luis Gil  • SP  •  Yankees

Luis Gil To Make His Return On Friday

New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (back) will come off the 15-day injured list on Friday to start against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Gil will be making his first start in the big leagues since Aug. 20 due to a back injury, but he shouldn't have too short of a leash after reaching the 80-pitch mark over 3 2/3 innings pitched in his lone minor-league rehab start. However, with a career high in innings pitched by a wide margin this year, the 26-year-old Dominican could be fading down the stretch. Gil has posted a 4.43 ERA (5.01 FIP) with 26 strikeouts and 17 walks in 22 1/3 innings over five starts since the All-Star break. The Yankees are putting him right back in the starting rotation upon his return from the IL, but there plans could change later in September and for the postseason. The Cubs as an offense have been right in the middle of the pack this year in terms of K's and team OPS.
3 days ago   
Austin Wells  • C  •  Yankees

Austin Wells Considered Day-To-Day

New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (hand) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. This doesn't come as a surprise after Wells was hit by a pitch in the hand during Monday's game. Luckily, Wells is only considered as day-to-day after the X-rays came back clean on Tuesday. Jose Trevino will handle behind the plate and bat seventh versus left-hander Andrew Heaney on Tuesday. Trevino has struggled with a .185 batting average with four home runs and 11 RBI against left-handed pitching this season. He won't be an ideal fantasy option for Tuesday's slate.
4 days ago   
Anthony Rizzo  • 1B  •  Yankees

Anthony Rizzo Sitting Against Southpaw

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. The veteran slugger will get the night off for the first time since coming off the injured list. This isn't shocking as the Yankees don't want to push Rizzo too hard considering he's coming back from a major injury. DJ LeMahieu will cover first base and bat ninth versus left-hander Andrew Heaney. LeMahieu has been awful with the bat and is hitting only .157 against left-handed pitching, so fantasy managers can keep him out of their lineups on Tuesday.
4 days ago   
Juan Soto  • RF  •  Yankees

Toronto To "Take A Shot" At Juan Soto This Winter

USA TODAY baseball columnist Bob Nightengale reported on Tuesday the Toronto Blue Jays will "take a shot" at signing New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto once he becomes a free agent this fall. The Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets are expected to compete with the Yankees for Soto, who is hitting .293/.420/.585 with 37 homers, 96 RBI, a league-leading 110 runs scored, and five stolen bases in eight attempts with the American League East Division leaders, who acquired him in a trade with the San Diego Padres last winter. Fantasy managers can envision a Blue Jays lineup with Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr in the middle of the lineup if the Blue Jays can bring in Soto.
4 days ago   
Clarke Schmidt  • SP  •  Yankees

Clarke Schmidt Fans Seven In Final Rehab Game

New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) looked good in his final minor-league rehab start on Monday with Double-A Somerset, allowing two earned runs on three hits (one homer) while walking nine and striking out seven in 4 2/3 innings of work. Schmidt threw 46 of his 70 pitches in his third and final rehab start. Nothing is official yet, but the 28-year-old is expected to return to New York's starting rotation this weekend at Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs. The former first-rounder was a fantasy asset in all leagues with a 2.52 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in his first 11 starts of the year before injuring his lat,, but he also hasn't made a start in the big leagues since May 26. Schmidt should be in play in mixed leagues down the stretch, but he may be a bit limited from a pitch-count perspective in his first start back, which should come this weekend.
4 days ago   
Gerrit Cole  • SP  •  Yankees

Gerrit Cole Leaves Early With Calf Injury

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (calf) left his start on Monday against the Texas Rangers early with a trainer at Globe Life Field in the seventh inning and was pointing at his calf when he departed. Before leaving, Cole had allowed just one earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out nine in six innings of work. We won't know the severity of his calf injury until the team does some tests, so fantasy managers will want to check back later Monday evening or Tuesday morning. The Yankees and fantasy managers alike can ill-afford Cole to miss any time down the stretch, and an injury at this point could end up sidelining the ace through the rest of the month. Cole came into Monday's start on a strong five-start stretch in which he had a 1.93 ERA with 31 punchouts and 10 walks in 28 innings pitched. UPDATE: Cole left with a right-calf cramp, according to the team.
4 days ago   
Jasson Domínguez  • CF  •  Yankees

Jasson Dominguez Still "Very Much In Play" For Promotion

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it's still "very much in play" that outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez gets called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. "Frankly, there's probably no one higher on Jasson Dominguez than me. He's very much in the mix, but we're not ready to make that move yet," Boone said. Dominguez was not one of the players that the Yankees called up when rosters expanded on Sunday, although the 21-year-old they call the Martian is still an option to join the Bombers down the stretch. He should be rostered in most fantasy leagues since he could make an immediate impact in all categories if he comes up and sees regular playing time, but he's also running out of time to make noise in fantasy. The Dominican switch-hitter has been injured in 2024 but has been excellent at Triple-A when healthy, slashing .298/.354/.457 with five homers, 18 RBI and 14 steals in 38 games.
4 days ago   
Clarke Schmidt  • SP  •  Yankees

Clarke Schmidt Expected To Return This Weekend

There is a "very good chance" that New York Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt (lat) will rejoin the starting rotation this weekend at Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs, according to manager Aaron Boone. Schmidt will make his third and final minor-league rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Monday before rejoining the starting rotation this weekend for the first time since late May. Although it's been a while since the 28-year-old pitched in a major-league game this year, fantasy managers shouldn't ignore him in mixed leagues in the final month of the regular season. He has struck out 11 and walked only two while giving up just two runs in his two rehab starts for Somerset. In addition to Schmidt, the Yankees are expected to get Luis Gil (back) back from the injured list this weekend. Schmidt was solid in his first 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 67 K's in 60 2/3 frames.
5 days ago   
Luis Gil  • SP  •  Yankees

Luis Gil Has "Very Good Chance" To Return This Weekend

There's a "very good chance" that New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (back) will return to the team's starting rotation this weekend to face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, according to manager Aaron Boone. Gil made a minor-league rehab start with Double-A Somerset and allowed three runs while striking out six in 3 2/3 innings (80 pitches). The 26-year-old is stretched out enough to rejoin the Yankees' rotation his next time out, and it appears it will come on the road against the suddenly hot Cubbies. Gil could be tiring down the stretch this year after having tossed a combined 33 1/3 innings over two seasons in his big-league career coming into 2024. He was lights-out in the first half of the year but also leads the league with 66 walks in 124 2/3 innings. Gil will be fantasy relevant in mixed leagues the rest of the way as long as he remains in the rotation and isn't having his workload monitored.
5 days ago   
Jasson Domínguez  • CF  •  Yankees

Jasson Dominguez Sticking In Minors For Now

The New York Yankees did not call up top prospect Jasson Dominguez to the big leagues with rosters expanding on Sunday, Sept. 1. Instead, the Yankees activated first baseman Anthony Rizzo (forearm) from the 60-day injured list and recalled right-handers Ron Marinaccio and Scott Effross and outfielder Duke Ellis from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It's disappointing for fantasy managers in single-year leagues that have been stashing the Martian, but it doesn't mean the 21-year-old won't join the Yankees at some point this month. He was called up as the 27th man for a game earlier this month and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. When New York calls the Dominican outfielder up, they want to have an everyday role for him. Injuries have limited Dominguez to only 37 games at Triple-A this year, but he's been excellent when healthy, hitting .306/.359/.469 with five homers, 18 RBI and 14 stolen bases.
6 days ago   
Ron Marinaccio  • RP  •  Yankees

Ron Marinaccio Joins Major League Roster

New York Yankees relief pitcher Ron Marinaccio is being promoted to the major league roster. The 29-year-old logged 21 innings of work at the major league level earlier this summer to the tune of a solid 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 9:22 BB:K ratio. The Delaware product held an excellent 2.02 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP across 35 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Fantasy managers should expect Marinaccio to serve as a middle relief option in the Yankee bullpen. In leagues where holds are scored, the right-hander could be worth a look as he should not only provide stable ratios and could typically pitch with a lead. However, he should not be given too many save opportunities as Clay Holmes should continue to serve as the ninth-inning option with Mark Leiter Jr. behind him in the eighth inning.
6 days ago   
Anthony Rizzo  • 1B  •  Yankees

Anthony Rizzo Activated From Injured List, Starting On Sunday

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (forearm) was reinstated from the 60-day IL on Sunday morning and will start at first base as the Yankees conclude a series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Rizzo has been sidelined since mid-June with a right forearm fracture. In a corresponding move, the Yankees optioned first baseman/catcher Ben Rice on Saturday evening. Before the injury, Rizzo was hitting a mere .223/.289/.341 line with eight home runs. Despite his struggles, fantasy managers looking to improve their corner infield spot should look to add the former World Series champion this weekend, given his everyday role in the Yankees offense. This afternoon, Rizzo could be a sneaky play in DFS as he will bat in the seven-hole against St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas, who has a hefty 5.23 ERA.
6 days ago   
Ben Rice  • 1B  •  Yankees

Ben Rice Optioned To Triple-A Scranton On Saturday

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice was optioned to Triple-A Scranton on Saturday, according to the ballclub. The expectation is that this move is in correlation to Anthony Rizzo's expected activation off the injured list on Sunday. Rice got off to a hot start with the Yankees but majorly cooled off in August, hitting for just a .228 OPS in 41 PA during the month. Most of Rice's playing time at first base was taken over by veteran DJ LeMahieu, though LeMahieu's production has been less than ideal (.525 OPS in August). Fantasy managers should feel free to cut Rice loose between the combination of subpar production and Rizzo's eventual return. Those who have Rizzo on their roster should get ready to get him in their starting lineups as soon as tomorrow in his potential return to Wrigley Field against Cubs' scheduled starter Jameson Taillon.
7 days ago   
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