The Yankees will try to keep a little momentum rolling Tuesday night with Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the middle of a lineup that has a fresh look for the opener of a three-game set against the Astros in the Bronx.
Chisholm has started to heat up at the right time. Over his last five games, the Yankees’ second baseman is batting .353, going 6-for-17 with a 1.127 OPS. It’s a small sample, sure, but for a player working through a sub par season in his free agent walk year, it’s the kind of stretch that can change the feel of things fast with the final five weeks of the regular season approaching.
New York enters Tuesday night at 74-56, sitting 3.5 games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Houston comes in at 65-66, half a game back of Texas in the AL West.
Will Warren gets the ball for the Yankees. The right-hander is 8-6 with a 4.43 ERA. He’ll be opposed by another righty, Ethan Pecko, who is 0-0 with a 4.91 ERA.
Before first pitch, the Yankees made a couple of roster moves. Veteran reliever Justin Topa was signed to a big-league contract and brought up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while Brendan Beck was sent back to Scranton. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Giancarlo Stanton, who is dealing with a calf strain, was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
There was also a note on Clarke Schmidt. The right-hander, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and also dealing with a forearm cramp, was set to throw live BP at Yankee Stadium Tuesday afternoon. If that session goes smoothly, he’ll move on to a minor league rehab assignment, with a chance to help the Yankees in relief sometime in September.
The Yankees’ lineup against Houston features Trent Grisham in center, Ben Rice at DH, Luis Garcia Jr. at first base, Cody Bellinger in left, George Lombard Jr. at shortstop, Spencer Jones in right, Chisholm at second, Austin Wells behind the plate, and Jose Caballero at third.
In Other News...
Yankees Roster Decision Could Say Everything About Stantons Season
Giancarlo Stantons long absence has already stretched from the spring into the heart of the season, and the Yankees now find themselves weighing a roster move that could reflect just how far things have slid. Stanton has been sidelined since April with a calf strain, and after recently hurting his other calf, New York is considering shifting him to the 60-day injured list, a move that would clear a spot on the 40-man roster while underscoring the uncertainty around his return.
The opening would likely go to Justin Topa, the veteran reliever the Yankees recently signed after his release from the Twins. Topa has bounced around on minor league deals with other clubs and brings seven years of big league experience, and the expectation is that he will get a chance to compete for a bullpen job as the Yankees sort through a roster spot created by Stantons latest setback. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Rumor Suddenly Matters More After New Third Base Concern
Ryan McMahons move to the 10-day injured list with a thumb sprain gave the Yankees an immediate reminder of how quickly the picture can change at third base. It also put a little more weight behind a rumor that had been easy to file away as distant background noise, with Jon Heyman reporting on Aug. 13 that the Yankees were among several clubs linked to Japanese third baseman Teruaki Sato.
For now, the Sato chatter is still just that, a loose idea rather than anything approaching confirmed negotiations. But with the Yankees now dealing with a new question at the hot corner, the long-term fit becomes a little easier to imagine, especially since Sato is expected to pursue MLB after the 2026 season and New York is already being mentioned alongside the Mets, Dodgers and Phillies. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Shot At A Prospect They Need
The Yankees have already watched several of the international names they targeted come off the board, but they still have one of the bigger remaining bonus pools to work with and a chance to make up ground. That matters now more than it did earlier in the year, because the international market has shifted and a high-end talent has suddenly entered the picture.
Raider Sanchez, the Cuban outfielder recently declared a free agent by the MLB Commissioner's Office, is expected to hold a showcase on Aug. 31, and the Yankees are in position to pursue him. Sanchez is viewed as a top prospect, and the timing adds another layer of urgency with the next international signing period potentially complicated by labor negotiations, giving New York a real opportunity to land a player it could use. [Read more 🡒]