Giving The Kids The Keys

(Courtesy of the AP)

Call me crazy, but I saw something significant in the small flurry of personnel moves the Yankees made last Friday.  No, it wasn't the end of the saddest SS platoon in history, although it did get a little dusty in here when I read that Reid Brignac was gone (not really).  It was the commitment being made to the young guys on the active roster that stood out to me.  In making that move to dump Brignac, call Alberto Gonzalez back up from Triple-A, and make Jayson Nix the everyday shortstop, the Yankees were also in effect giving the everyday starting third base job back to David Adams.  Add to that the insertion of Zoilo Almonte into the everyday lineup for Vernon Wells and it looks like the Yankees are finally ready to follow the demands of tons of fans out there and let the kids play.

Time To See How "Open For Business" The Yanks Really Are

Brian Cashman declared the Yankees "open for business"  on the trade market last week, not a huge declaration given the constant wheeling and dealing he's been doing since early in spring camp.  With the regular season now almost half over and the shine almost completely worn off the handful of spring acquisitions, now it's going to be put up or shut up time for Cash and the Yankees to follow through on that declaration with more than just marginal moves.

They've already been unlinked to Manny Ramirez and the recently DFA'd Ramon Hernandez, both of whom play positions at which the Yankees could afford to upgrade.  Their status as defensive liabilities and below-average offensive players hardly makes either an upgrade though, so Cash choosing to pass on them is understandable and justifiable.  But the trade market is starting to come together with both Chicago clubs announcing last week that they're looking to sell and more teams likely to follow suit in the next few weeks.

There's no question that there are potential upgrades to be had on both of those clubs should Cash try to pursue them.  What is a question is how aggressive the Yankees are willing to be to get those upgrades.  Cash considerations and players to be named later aren't going to get it done if they're serious about adding someone like Nate Schierholtz.  The lineup is still badly in need of a boost in multiple areas, and the team's willingness to seriously engage teams in talks over the next month will give insight into how serious they are about contending down the stretch this season and also possibly into how serious the budget plans for next season still are.

Game 75 Wrap-Up: TB 3 NYY 1

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

It was Old Timer's Day at The Stadium yesterday, always one of the most fun and most attended games of the year.  The regulars were all in attendance - O'Neill, Bernie, Cone, Guidry, Whitey, Yogi, etc. - along with a few new faces like John Flaherty and Orlando Hernandez.  Once those festivities were over, all eyes were on Ivan Nova, who was making his first start since late April.  As previously mentioned, there was little chance that Nova was being used for anything more than a spot start but he could still lay the groundwork for consideration later in the season with a good performance.  He turned in a pretty good one actually, albeit one that got stained a bit by some poor relief pitching behind him in the loss.

Game Notes:

- It was vintage Nova early and not in a good way.  He gave up a run in the top of the 1st on a couple of line drive singles and a walk.  His fastball command was spotty and he needed a big GIDP to escape the jam.

- In a continuation of a positive new trend, the offense picked up Nova immediately in the bottom half.  Brett Gardner singled and moved to second on an error, then third on a wild pitch.  Robinson Cano drove him home on a sac fly and the game was tied.

- After the tough 1st, Nova adjusted and went with more offspeed stuff early in the count.  His curveball was really working - the Rays hitters couldn't do much of anything with it -  and he leaned on it through 5 innings, scattering just a few more baserunners and striking out 7.

- Nova tired and hit 2 batters with 2 outs in the 7th, Shawn Kelley walked Evan Longoria, and Boone Logan hung a slider to James Loney to mar Ivan's final line and give the Rays a 3-1 lead.  Not what the binder ordered.

- The offensive dormancy returned after the 1st.  The Yanks left 2 on in the 3rd and the 4th, and stranded Zoilo on a 2-out double in the 6th, and that was about it for them.  Not much of a fight.

Ya Gotta Love Old Timer's Day

(Courtesy of the AP)

Say what you want about him as a broadcaster, but old Pauly still looks like he could handle the stick up there.  I guarantee the water coolers in the dugouts were a little nervous with him back out there today.  Little surprised the Yankees didn't talk to him in the offseason before making the Wells trade.

P.S.- Totally kidding but not really.

Game 74 Wrap-Up: NYY 7 TB 5

(Courtesy of the AP)

CC Sabathia was the big stopper for the Yankees the last time he took the mound.  He came back yesterday with a chance to help them start building another winning streak after a satisfying and Zoilo-tastic win on Friday night.  He was back in an almost identical starting lineup - hitting 6th and playing left field for Vernon Wells again - against Tampa starter Alex Colome.  The AL East race is really starting to heat up with Boston and Baltimore still strong up top and Toronto rattling off 9 in a row to get back to .500.  If the Yanks are serious about contending for a playoff spot, they need to start putting together more than 1 or 2 wins at a time.

Game Notes:

- The offense squandered a scoring opportunity against Colome in the 2nd and seemed poised to do it again in the 3rd until Zoilo came up.  He smacked a 2-run single up the middle with 2 outs to give New York a 2-1 lead.

- Evan Longoria got to him for a solo HR to lead off the 2nd (he's killing Yankee pitching this year) and a double in the 4th, otherwise CC was very good through 5.  He was mixing all his pitches well, throwing his fastball for strikes, and getting a ton of GB outs.

- Bad Tampa defense contributed to the first Yankee runs and it did again in the bottom of the 5th on a James Loney throwing error.  The Yanks wore down Colome with walks to force in another run and drive him from the game.

- It fell apart quickly for CC in the top of the 6th.  He walked Sam Fuld to lead off, Desmond Jennings doubled him to third, and after getting 2 outs the call was made to intentionally walk Longoria to load the bases.  As it has to CC before, this backfired when he gave up a grand slam to Wil Myers to make it 5-3 Tampa.

- In an incredible, and ballsy, turn of events, the lineup picked him up in the bottom of the 7th.  They loaded the bases again with 1 out, Adams walked in another run with 2 outs, and Joe went to Vernon Wells to pinch hit.  Wells rewarded the undeserved faith with a bases-clearing double to put the Yanks back up.

- D-Rob and Mo made the lead stand up again and the Yanks had another comeback win.  Maybe the offense is finally starting to come around.

Previewing The Short Season Leagues: Rookie GCL Yankees

The GCL season got started last night, with the Yankees now sporting 2 full squads.  You may have noticed that I didn't preview these teams before the season like I did with the Staten Island Yanks, and that's because after botching the Jordan Cote assignment I didn't want to take any more chances misspeaking about players.  The GCL rosters hadn't been announced prior to the start of the season, as is usually the case at this level.  The teams are made up of a combination of the HS guys from last year's draft, new draftees from this year's draft, young international free agent signings, and higher level guys rehabbing injuries.  Now that each team has gotten a game under its belt and we have an idea of what each roster is going to look like, here's what and who you should watch for.

Nova To Start Sunday

The Yankees send their ace out today to try to get a leg up in this 4-game series.  If CC is able to help them get a win today, they'll then be sending their 6th starter out to try to lock down the series victory tomorrow.  Due to the rain delay and Tuesday doubleheader earlier in the week, the Yankees need that 6th starter and it will be Ivan Nova who gets the call tomorrow instead of Kuroda or Hughes on short rest.

Nova has been the forgotten man since hitting the DL in late April.  He's lost his spot in the rotation to David Phelps and looked on the verge of losing the 6th man role until Vidal Nuno tweaked his groin recently.  He last appeared in the Majors in a 5-inning, 1-run relief effort in late May, and since then he's pitched pretty well in the Triple-A rotation (2.04 ERA/2.69 FIP over 17.2 IP in 3 starts).

The message sent by the Yankees in how they've handled Nova since he came off the DL is that they don't have a lot of faith in him, and tomorrow's start is highly unlikely to be anything more than a necessary spot start before he's sent back down.  But with the way Hughes has struggled and with Andy's back always a concern, you never know.  If Nova tosses a gem (also highly unlikely) maybe he forces his name back into consideration with Pineda still a few weeks away.

Game 73 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 TB 2

(Zo, Zo, Zoilo!  Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees have been safely ahead of the Rays in the standings almost since the season started.  At least up until the last few weeks when Tampa started to get it together offensively just as the Yankees started to fall apart.  They entered play last night just a game and a half clear of Tampa with no offensive resurgence in sight.  That didn't stop them from tinkering, as another roster move was made before the game to try to add some slightly better offense and 2 young guys (Adams and Zoilo) were given the keys to the starting lineup again.  For one night at least, it worked.

Game Notes:

- More smallball early from the Yankee offense.  Brett Gardner scored on a Robinson Cano sac fly in the bottom of the 1st after a pair of leadoff walks and Ichiro drove in Austin Romine (who doubled) with a groundout in the 3rd after a Gardner sac bunt to put and keep the Yankees out front through 3.

- David Phelps was pretty good through 2 innings, and then he started to slip a bit.  He lost control of his slider and got hit for a run each in the 2nd and 3rd innings.

- In a very rare turn of events, it was the offense continuing to come through to help Phelps.  After Tampa tied the game again at 2 in the top of the 4th, the Yanks responded with 2 in the bottom half on a trio of singles and 2-out hit by David Adams.

- There was finally some familiar offense when somebody hit a HR in the bottom of the 6th.  And wouldn't you know it, it was Zoilo Almonte who did the honors, with his third hit of the day to make it 5-2.

- About what you'd expect from Phelps.  His tough middle innings upped his pitch count and he hit his limit in the 6th inning.  He didn't allow any more runs though, and finished with just those 2 allowed.

- The bullpen was called on for a lot last night and they responded.  4 guys combined to go 3.1 innings, and they allowed just 1 baserunner combined with 4 strikeouts.  Mariano Rivera finished things off with a 1-2-3 save.

Friday Afternoon Linkapalooza: 6/21/13

Thank you to the NHL for scheduling Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals for Saturday and not tonight.  If it was tonight, I don't think I'd make it to the second intermission.  From the NBA Finals game on Tuesday night to Game 4 Wednesday night back to NBA Finals Game 7 last night, that's a lot of late nights and 4-hour text marathons with everybody I know who's been watching.  Waking up early to write game recaps about some of the puke we've seen on the baseball diamond this week doesn't make things any easier.  I need me a nap and I needed it yesterday.  If I'm still in the office by the team this post goes up later, I have failed myself as a cubicle monkey and a human being.  Now onto the links!

- On Monday, Chad Jennings of LoHud had the real meat and potatoes from the Cashman conference call, with detailed quotes about Teix, Youkilis, and the trade market.

- Mike Axisa of RAB touched on the positive trend in Dellin Betances' performance since being converted back to the bullpen in Triple-A.

- On Tuesday, el duque of It Is High... was back with his always snarky and almost always spot on dose of perspective on the current lay of the Yankee land.

- On Wednesday, Derek Albin of Pinstripe Pundits started looking at realistic trade options for the Yankees as the deadline starts to appear in the distance.

- Mark Feinsand of The Daily News hopped in the way back machine with Brian Cashman and got Cash's explanation on the "Girardi-over-Mattingly" managerial hire.

- On Thursday, William Juliano of The Captain's Blog analyzed the Yankees' performance against their Pythagorean expectation now that they have an even run differential and saw bad things in their future.

- Rob Abruzzese of Bronx Baseball Daily ranked Don Mattingly's top 10 Yankee moments, fitting for his return to New York earlier this week.

- Walter Peck of NoMaas wasn't all that thrilled with the Yankees' promotional selections for the All Star Game.  You mean Ichiro doesn't deserve to be there??

- On Friday, Michael Eder of IIATMS/TYA pondered the possibility of David Phelps maintaining his high K rate.  That has always stuck out to me more than anything about Phelps.  He was never a high K guy in the upper levels of the Minors.

Tanya Bondurant of Pinstriped Bible wondered if Michael Pineda could take Phil Hughes' rotation spot.  Yes, Tanya.  Yes he could and yes he will.

- SG of RLYW compared the lineup's actual performance to its projected performance to show how badly they've been underproducing.  If you want to take that as a sign that things will turn around, be my guest.

This week's jam is "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles.  Good tune to unwind to after a long, tiring week.



Enjoy your weekends, everybody.

This Offense Is Offensive

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

There's no need to sugarcoat it anymore.  It's a scientific fact at this point, why try holding out hope that it's going to turn around?  This offense sucks.  It sucks and it sucks hard.  Whether you want to blame ownership, Cashman, or both, we can all be unified in agreement that this performance from the lineup night in and night out is just pathetic.  Each game brings a new low, and the numbers and anecdotes to prove it are starting to get frightening.  Reid Brignac isn't OPSing CC's playing weight.  Vernon Wells may have inadvertently started the takeover of the machines.  Francisco Cervelli is the team wOBA leader right now, by a wide margin, and he hasn't played a game since April 26th.  Alberto Gonzalez is statistically the team's best offensive shortstop.

What's Up With Andy?

Andy Pettitte turned in another ho-hum performance last night, giving up 5 ER on 9 hits in 6.2 innings of work.  Since coming off the DL, he's posted a 4.91 ERA in 25.2 IP, with 30 hits allowed in those innings.  Like CC, he's been much more hittable since coming off the DL, but why?  Is the back still bothering him?  Has he lost some of his stuff because of it?

Hard to say.  Pettitte's FIP for June is just 2.66, a full 2 runs lower than his ERA.  He's walked fewer batters on average than he did in April or May, and there's nothing in his June contact splits to suggest he's getting knocked around the park by opposing hitters.  He's got a .341 BABIP against this month, so there could just be some bad luck in play here.

The Yankees need more from Andy, there's no doubting that.  But to turn his June struggles into a bigger story might be a bit premature based on his overall statistical and PitchF/X profile.  The only thing that stands out to me is a slight trend in him leaving his cutter up in the zone a bit, and even that is registering him a better whiff rate on the pitch than he had in the first 2 months.  If Andy's back is still giving him problems, there's really not much other than the ERA to support it.  It could just be a case of him needing a few breaks to go his way.

Game 72 Wrap-Up: TB 8 NYY 3

(Courtesy of the AP)

The Yankees got back to normal last night after a rough road trip and a hectic 1-day doubleheader series against their old rival.  They were at home, they had Andy Pettitte on the mound, and they were facing AL East rival Tampa Bay, who's slowly been creeping up on the Yanks as they've floundered recently.  Tampa had their own big time lefty on the mound in Matt Moore, who'd already dominated the Yankee lineup twice in his 2 previous starts against New York this season.  How would he fair a third time?  Did you really have to ask?

Game Notes:

- Andy struggled with his fastball command early, and it cost him 3 runs on 6 hits.  He was able to limit damage and keep his pitch count down, but the Rays hitters were making him pay for every mistake.

- Predictably, the Yankee offense didn't get much going against Moore.  Brett Gardner led off the game with a solid single, and from there Moore faced the minimum number of hitters through 4 innings.

- The offense generated runs in the 6th the only ways they seem to know how these days: luck (Moore lost the zone and walked 2 then threw a wild pitch), station-to-station baseball, and productive outs (Robinson Cano sac fly, Travis Hafner RBI groundout).  It worked and got them within a run, 4-3.

- Pettitte, after righting the ship in the 4th and 5th innings, couldn't respond to the offensive support.  He gave up a solo HR to Evan Longoria in the 6th and back-to-back doubles with 2 outs in the 7th to end his night with 5 Tampa runs on the board.

- It got no better when the game got the bullpen.  Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan combined to give up 4 ER in less than 2 innings to really put the game out of reach.

- Very fitting ending in the bottom of the 9th.  Yanks put 2 runners on as a tease and Chris Stewart grounds into a game-ending double play.  Balls.

Do You Hear That, Phil?

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Do you?  You should listen to it a little closer.  That's the sound of Michael Pineda coming.  That's the sound of your rotation spot disappearing in about a month, and possibly a nice chunk of your upcoming free agent money with it.  Take a look around, buddy.  You're the weak link in the rotation, and the truth is you have been since the minute Ivan got DL'd.  You're sitting with a 5.09/4.43/4.41 split now, with just as many bad starts than good this season after another Phil Hughes 101 clinic last night- missing in the strike zone with fastballs, inconsistency with the offspeed stuff, no ability at all to put hitters away with 2 strikes.  It's all just getting old, dude.  You're waking up today coming off another stinker and Pineda is pitching again tonight down in Tampa.

And guess what?  This time the Yankees won't shuffle guys around and roll out the red carpet for you in the bullpen.  They don't need to do that this time.  Things are just fine in the 'pen.  Maybe you'll get put on the phantom DL with more shoulder fatigue.  Maybe you'll get sent down to Triple-A to hang out with Ivan.  Maybe you will get sent out to the bullpen, to be Adam Warren's caddy and D-Rob's sock washer.  It doesn't really matter anymore.  What matters is that your act has gotten tired and Pineda is on his way.  He's coming and he's not coming just to be a placeholder for Andy's back.  He's coming for your job.

Game 71 Wrap-Up: LAD 6 NYY 0

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Things were looking good for the Yankees last night after they won the day game of the doubleheader.  Then the lineup remembered that they're mostly crummy hitters and Bad Phil Hughes showed up.  Pretty simple really.  Not much to this one.

Game Notes:

- Bad Phil.

- Bad Phil.

- More Bad Phil.

- Adam Warren HR.

- No offense.

Game 70 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 LAD 4

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

It was delayed by a day, but Donnie Baseball finally made his return to Yankee Stadium today and even with a less than desired early crowd for a day/night doubleheader still got a nice tribute and a few opportunities to deservedly doff his cap to the fans.  His Dodgers were also making their first visit to The Stadium in way too long, and all of it was getting packed into 1 day.  After last night's rainout, the Yankees juggled their rotation a touch and gave Hiroki Kuroda the day start against impressive rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Game Notes:

- The Yankee offense got back to executing smallball in the bottom of the 2nd, getting 2 singles from Thomas Neal and Ichiro to set the table and a sac bunt by David Adams to move them over.  Lyle Overbay came through with a 2-run double right after and it was a 2-0 game.

- Efficient start for Kuroda, and effective too despite the 5 hits in 4 innings.  He was sinker/slider heavy and locating well to get a ton of groundball contact.  He had to work around a 2nd and 3rd/0 outs situation in the top of the 4th, but did so successfully thanks to a nice defensive play on his part to start a lineout DP.

- Things got back to normal offensively in the bottom of the 5th.  The Yanks loaded the bases with 1 out only to have Vernon Wells strike out and Neal ground out to let Ryu off the hook and keep it a 2-run game.

- Ichiro quickly made up for that blown opportunity by leading off the bottom of the 6th with a HR.  As underwhelming as he's been this year, he's been one of the better hitters for the last few weeks.

- Kuroda continued to cruise through 6 before getting into trouble again after putting the first 2 runners on in the 7th.  His pitches started coming in a bit higher in the zone and the Dodgers took advantage.  Kuroda failed to make it out of the inning after a Jerry Hairston RBI single, but he left with the lead intact.

- The Yanks extended that lead in the bottom half on some hilariously awful defensive errors and another Ichiro hit, then Preston Claiborne almost gave it back in the 8th.  D-Rob and Mo came in to lock things down and preserve the win.

Expectations For Zoilo In A Mixed Bag Season Of Rookies

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The Year of The Rookie continued yesterday when the Yankees recalled Adam Warren to replace Teix on the active roster and reportedly prepared to call up Zoilo Almonte as the latest attempted shake up/boost/slight upgrade/marginal improvement/whatever to the scuffling lineup.  While a corresponding roster move to make room for Zoilo hasn't been announced yet - smart money would be on Chris Bootcheck - chances are high that we'll see him in the lineup either today or tonight as the Yanks play a doubleheader without the benefit of the 26th man.

The End Of The Youkilis Era

It started with another day off, it continued with another DL trip, and it might have just ended yesterday with the announcement that he was going to need surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back.  The battle between Kevin Youkilis and his back has been waged, and Youkilis has lost.  You can check the calendar if you want, but the 10-12 week estimated timeframe for his recovery all but ends a Yankee career that was snuffed out almost as quickly as it started.

As it is, Youkilis will end his Yankee career with a .219/.305/.343 batting line in 118 plate appearances.  It wasn't the production anybody hoped for, least of all Youkilis himself, but it's a testament to the grit and desire and passion for the game Youkilis had.  He wore the pinstripes with pride, although usually in a stiff and uncomfortable looking posture, and honored the # 36 like no Yankee had since Freddy Garcia.  He'll make a cool $12 million this year - $1 mil for every run he scored, 1.5 for every RBI, or 6 for every HR - and no man, woman, or child could say that every cent of it wasn't well earned.

Kevin Youkilis wasn't a Yankee for very long.  He joined them later in his career, when his flame had started to burn a little fainter.  It's a flame we'll never forget though, and a flame that will burn on in time for the rest of Yankee history.  Now somebody hit the music.

What's Going On Behind The Scenes In Yankeeland?

(Courtesy of Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

Cash had a lot to say to the media yesterday.  Unsurprisingly, the bulk of it was about injuries.  While the news on A-Rod and Michael Pineda was both positive, it was what Cash said about Mark Teixeira that stood out.  When asked about Kevin Long's statement over the weekend that Teix hadn't seemed right since coming off the DL, Cash pulled off the impressive feat of going both on the defensive and the offensive, saying that Long had never said anything like that in any internal discussions and calling it "alarming" that Long would then say that to reporters.  When pressed further to comment on whether he was angry with Long, Cash summed up his feelings with this statement:

“I think some people are better with the microphone than others.”

Boom, roasted! I don't care if you like Cash or not, that's a good line.  What I do care about is the fact that it's another example of Cash publicly airing out his people, something that's never been a part of his playbook and has come as a bit of a surprise to me this season.

Teix Back To The DL

Cash strongly hinted at it on his conference call yesterday and now it sounds like the Yankees are making it official today.  Via Sweeny Murti, they will put Mark Teixeira back on the DL today for right wrist inflammation and recall Adam Warren from Triple-A to take his spot on the active roster.  Murti also speculates that Zoilo Almonte could be called up in another attempt to find some offense.  After losing Teix's bat again, this wouldn't be a bad move.

If we're following the Jose Bautista path from 2012 with this wrist injury, the initial diagnosis was strike 1.  This setback and return DL trip is strike 2.  Even if Teix comes back from this inflammation to play a few games, it still appears like he's right on track to get strike 3 and season-ending surgery at some point.

Yanks Get Aggressive With Minor League Promotions, But Not Too Aggressive

(Do you, Raffy.  Do you.  Courtesy of MiLB.com)

I have no evidence to back this claim up other than my own memory, but it seems like the Yankees have been on the cautious side recently when it comes to promoting their top prospects.  They didn't rush Jesus Montero, Dellin Betances, or Manny Banuelos, aren't rushing guys like Gary Sanchez and Mason Williams now, and didn't give any indication they were going to be anything but patient with Ty Hensley and Austin Aune.  In the past few days, however, they've executed a small series of Minor League promotions that seem to be coming a bit earlier than usual.  I can't recall there being many promotions for top prospects before the MiL All Star Games in the last few years.  These recent moves could signal a slight change in philosophy when it comes to development and promotion.

How Big Of An Ovation Does Mattingly Get Tonight?

Probably not as big as CM Punk in Chicago - kinda hard to beat that in an open-air baseball stadium that's only a third full when the game starts - but I bet it'll be pretty close tonight when Donnie Baseball returns to Yankee Stadium.  Personally I was a little young to really be a big Don Mattingly fan.  I caught him at the end of his career, when his health had started to betray him and the transition was being made to the Core Four dynasty.  But if you know anything about Yankee history, you know that Mattingly was and is one of the most beloved players in team history.  He was Derek Jeter before Derek Jeter was Derek Jeter.

I could care less about any of the talk about him returning as future manager or coach.  His track record on the coaching side of Major League baseball isn't all that stellar and I think Joe is still the better man for the job.  For nostalgia and fan history's sake though, it will be cool to see Mattingly back in Yankee Stadium tonight.  He'll get a huge reaction from the crowd and he deserves it.

A Batch Of Good Injury News

The bulk of Cash's conference call yesterday afternoon was spent updating the media on the litany of injuries the Yankees are still dealing with.  Outside of his wishy-washy statement on Teix and whether or not his wrist setback will send him back to the DL, it was all pretty positive.  How's that for a change of pace, huh?

Derek Jeter- Has been taking all kinds of batting practice (cage, tee, soft toss) and has started taking groundballs with some lateral movement.

Eduardo Nunez- Started hitting off a tee and taking groundballs again.

Alex Rodriguez- Started running the bases at 75% over the weekend with no issues, and is scheduled to face  live pitching for the first time today in Tampa.

Francisco Cervelli- Has been doing catching and throwing drills but is still at least a week away from starting to swing a bat again.

Curtis Granderson- Scheduled to get the pin removed from his broken hand this Thursday.  Will probably be re-evaluated then to determine next steps.

Previewing The Short Season Leagues: Staten Island

The short season leagues kick off this week in the Minors, bringing the Yankee farm system up to full song for the 2013 season.  In case you missed it, Stacey Gotsulias took a trip to Media Day for the Staten Island Yankees and got to talk to some of their coaches about the upcoming season and I highly recommend you check that out as a way to get up to speed on what's in store for that club this year.  After the jump, there's a quick primer on what and who you should be looking at on the field.

Keeping The Good Ship Yankee Afloat

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

The Yankees picked up a win yesterday afternoon, salvaging a small piece of pride from this West Coast trip and giving themselves something to build on for the next homestand.  As was the case during their recent losing streak, they won in rather frustrating fashion, getting out early and coasting through 8 innings before watching their bullpen aces almost give away a 6-run lead in the 9th.  Had they lost that game we'd be looking at a threat level red meltdown this morning, so it was nice to avoid that.  It's also nice to know that, despite the brutal offensive performance and continued injury problems, the Yanks come home just 2 games back in the loss column in the AL East and tied for the 2nd Wild Card spot.

The "just tread water until the regulars come back" plan has fallen apart rapidly with the return trips to the DL for C-Grand and Kevin Youkilis and Teix's latest setback with his wrist, and now the Yanks are looking at Francisco Cervelli as the new earliest guy back sometime after the All Star Break.  They're going to have to keep trying to find a way to win with the roster as presently constructed, which will be no small task if the last few weeks are any indication.  Here are a few things that need to happen to keep them competitive and in the hunt.

Game 69 Wrap-Up: NYY 6 LAA 5

(Courtesy of the AP)

There was a time when CC Sabathia on the mound during a tough stretch meant things were going to start to turn around.  With the struggles he's had this season, that's no longer nearly the certainty it used to be and that was bad news for the Yankees coming into the game.  Their offense has been laughably bad in the last week plus and there was no reason to have confidence in the lineup's ability to pick up CC should he not have his A-game.  Luckily for them he did, and luckily for him he actually got some run support for a change.

Game Notes:

- Another opportunity was squandered in the top of the 1st after a Brett Gardner leadoff double and Ichiro walk were stranded by the 3-5 hitters.  No excuse for Robinson Cano not putting a ball in play and bringing in at least 1 run.

- Gardner was in the middle of another leadoff rally in the 3rd and this time the Yanks came through on a big 2-out, 3-run homer by Travis Hafner, just his 3rd since May 20th.  Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Jayson Nix all followed up with hits and the Yanks had a 5-0 lead for CC.

- He made the lead stand up and then some through 5 innings.  His 4-seamer had great life and he worked from ahead in the count consistently to generate a lot of groundball outs.

- The offense went quiet for a while after the 3rd, but they scratched out an extra insurance run in the top of the 8th.  Cano doubled to start the inning, moved to third on a Hafner groundout, and scored on a Wells sac fly to make it 6-0.

- CC continued his excellence through the 8th before running out of gas in the bottom of the 9th.  Excellent outing for him, just what the team needed at a time like this and the type of stopper start we're used to seeing from him.

- Joe went to his bullpen aces after CC and they damn near gagged the game away.  D-Rob gave up a hit and a walk to load the bases before leaving and by the time Mo closed out the game it was 6-5 with the bases still loaded.  Even when they win these days they do it sloppily, but it's better than losing again.