NJ.com | Randy Miller: Aaron Boone gave a slew of injury updates ahead of the series finale in Anaheim, and most of them were positive. The biggest news is that Jazz Chisholm Jr. is nearing a return, with the second baseman ready to take live BP and possibly start a rehab assignment this weekend. Elsewhere, Giancarlo Stanton is in Tampa to participate in simulated games, and he too could start a rehab assignment sooner than later, if the Yankees have the DH play rehab games at all. Also, Fernando Cruz is progressing well with his shoulder ailment, on track to throw a bullpen today, Luis Gil is moving in the right direction, scheduled to throw off a mound on Friday, and even Jake Cousins is making progress, throwing a 30-pitch bullpen over the weekend.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: The Athletic is naming an All-Century team, highlighting the best players of the last 25 years. They unveiled their Yankees 21st-Century team, and it’s a stacked roster, unsurprising given the Yankees have won more games than any other club this century. The full infield of the 2009 World Series champions, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Canó, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez makes the list, while Brett Gardner, Bernie Williams and Aaron Judge fill out the outfield. Also, good on Kuty for bending the rules a bit so that he could find a way to salute Dellin Betances’ unhittable peak while still obviously naming Mariano Rivera as his clsoer.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Velocity is the name of the game in modern pitching, or at least it is for most pitchers. Ryan Yarbrough is not most pitchers. The veteran fill-in turned in his finest start of the season Monday night, holding the Angels to one run and two hits over six innings, lowering his ERA to 3.06 in the process. Yarbrough thrives not thanks to velo (his 87 mph four-seam average pales in comparison to the league standard), but because of his funky delivery, excellent movement, and precise control. “I’ve never been a guy who’s thrown incredibly hard,” said Yarbrough. “But it was one of those things where you just kind of show them you can really pitch.”
Yarbrough has shown the Yankees he can pitch, and proven that there are still ways to succeed without velo in the modern game.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Gerrit Cole is with the Yankees week, taking his family out with the team during their trip through California this week. Cole spoke to reporters about his rehab from Tommy John surgery, and the ace sounds like he isn’t having a hard time keeping things in perspective. Though a competitor like Cole obviously wants to be on the field helping his teammates right now, he says he’s “been able to find some ways to enjoy life off the field and take advantage of a lot of the family time the last few months.”
These days, Cole heads to Yankee Stadium in the morning to get his work done, before heading back to his home in Greenwich to pick up his two sons from preschool. “I’ve had some enjoyable times with the kids, so I feel really blessed about that,” Cole said. “Life’s good.” As frustrating as injury rehab can surely be, Cole is finding a way to make it a positive.
