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NEW YORK – Before his assignment against the Blue Jays and Toronto’s rookie starter Trey Yesavage, Yankees’ young right-hander Cam Schlittler took the larger viewpoint.
“Hopefully you’re facing each other for the next ‘X’ amount of years,’’ said Schlittler, adding that “it’ll be a fun matchup’’ at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.
It was Schlittler’s three distinct fastball brands vs. Yesavage’s unique, high-pointed delivery, and both starters used their electric stuff to lock into a scoreless battle through six innings.
Things swung Toronto’s way with a tremendous 11-pitch at-bat by Andres Gimenez, who worked a bases-loaded walk after fouling off seven pitches.
Ball four to Gimenez was the last of Schlittler’s 106 pitches, and the Blue Jays came away with a 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium, where the start was delayed over two hours by rain.
With his fastball-slider-splitter arsenal out of that “unique angle,’’ Yesavage was “filling up the strike zone,’’ said Yanks manager Aaron Boone, getting a flashback of the righty’s stellar work in Game 2 of last year’s AL Division Series at Toronto.
Schlittler felt it was “unacceptable’’ not to get out of that frame, which included a bunt single on a sacrifice attempt, where first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was told to be aggressive, though it was “probably a better play for (catcher Austin) Wells,’’ said Boone. “Looked like there was some indecision there.’’
“If I get out of that inning, probably a different outcome,’’ said Schlittler, putting it on himself.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like Jose Caballero will resume as the regular shortstop, but Boone stopped short in making any declaration on the Caballero-Anthony Volpe situation.
Coming back from a fractured left middle finger, Caballero is eligible to return from the 10-day injury list on Friday, and he’s trending toward activation for the start of that important series against the first-place Rays.
You know, with Gerrit Cole making his 2026 debut start on Friday night.
“He’ll be in there,’’ Boone said of Caballero when he’s ready to return.
Whether that’s immediately starting over Volpe, or being utilized in a utility role, was not made clear.
However, Boone said that Caballero has “played at a level that, to me, he’s earned the right to be out there at shortstop more often.’’
Over the season’s first quarter, “I think he was playing the best shortstop in the league and doing a lot of things to spark us offensively, too,’’ said Boone.
“It’s important to acknowledge that. But there’s no question his versatility is a real thing and a real asset, too.’’
Whether Volpe will be asked to try his hand at second base or third base hasn’t been addressed yet, but it seems to be at least a possibility, since Boone could see a 26-man roster with both Caballero and Volpe on it.
If Volpe (with a .794 OPS, playing solid defense in over his first seven games) is staying, Max Schuemann’s roster spot is in jeopardy once Caballero is activated.
Boone might have something in right-hander Yovanny Cruz, who made an impressive MLB debut Wednesday night.
With the Yanks’ bullpen still short, Cruz was summoned in the eighth inning and was so efficient that he stayed to toss a scoreless ninth.
Showing a fastball that reached 101-mph and a sharp slider, Cruz retired all six Blue Jays he faced – three on strikeouts.
“I was a little nervous going in,’’ Cruz said through an interpreter, but he remembered fellow Yanks reliever Fernando Cruz’s advise to “remember to breathe out there,’’ and it worked.
Cruz, 26, spent time at Triple-A working on his command, and his “strike throwing’’ and “efficiency’’ impressed Boone during that 15-pitch debut, with 13 strikes.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Cam's night, Caballero's looming return & Yankee reliever's debut
Continue reading...
“Hopefully you’re facing each other for the next ‘X’ amount of years,’’ said Schlittler, adding that “it’ll be a fun matchup’’ at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.
It was Schlittler’s three distinct fastball brands vs. Yesavage’s unique, high-pointed delivery, and both starters used their electric stuff to lock into a scoreless battle through six innings.
Things swung Toronto’s way with a tremendous 11-pitch at-bat by Andres Gimenez, who worked a bases-loaded walk after fouling off seven pitches.
Ball four to Gimenez was the last of Schlittler’s 106 pitches, and the Blue Jays came away with a 2-1 victory at Yankee Stadium, where the start was delayed over two hours by rain.
With his fastball-slider-splitter arsenal out of that “unique angle,’’ Yesavage was “filling up the strike zone,’’ said Yanks manager Aaron Boone, getting a flashback of the righty’s stellar work in Game 2 of last year’s AL Division Series at Toronto.
Schlittler felt it was “unacceptable’’ not to get out of that frame, which included a bunt single on a sacrifice attempt, where first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was told to be aggressive, though it was “probably a better play for (catcher Austin) Wells,’’ said Boone. “Looked like there was some indecision there.’’
“If I get out of that inning, probably a different outcome,’’ said Schlittler, putting it on himself.
Yankees' shortstop situation
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Reading between the lines, it sounds like Jose Caballero will resume as the regular shortstop, but Boone stopped short in making any declaration on the Caballero-Anthony Volpe situation.
Coming back from a fractured left middle finger, Caballero is eligible to return from the 10-day injury list on Friday, and he’s trending toward activation for the start of that important series against the first-place Rays.
You know, with Gerrit Cole making his 2026 debut start on Friday night.
“He’ll be in there,’’ Boone said of Caballero when he’s ready to return.
Whether that’s immediately starting over Volpe, or being utilized in a utility role, was not made clear.
However, Boone said that Caballero has “played at a level that, to me, he’s earned the right to be out there at shortstop more often.’’
Over the season’s first quarter, “I think he was playing the best shortstop in the league and doing a lot of things to spark us offensively, too,’’ said Boone.
“It’s important to acknowledge that. But there’s no question his versatility is a real thing and a real asset, too.’’
Whether Volpe will be asked to try his hand at second base or third base hasn’t been addressed yet, but it seems to be at least a possibility, since Boone could see a 26-man roster with both Caballero and Volpe on it.
If Volpe (with a .794 OPS, playing solid defense in over his first seven games) is staying, Max Schuemann’s roster spot is in jeopardy once Caballero is activated.
Hello, Yovanny Cruz
Boone might have something in right-hander Yovanny Cruz, who made an impressive MLB debut Wednesday night.
With the Yanks’ bullpen still short, Cruz was summoned in the eighth inning and was so efficient that he stayed to toss a scoreless ninth.
Showing a fastball that reached 101-mph and a sharp slider, Cruz retired all six Blue Jays he faced – three on strikeouts.
“I was a little nervous going in,’’ Cruz said through an interpreter, but he remembered fellow Yanks reliever Fernando Cruz’s advise to “remember to breathe out there,’’ and it worked.
Cruz, 26, spent time at Triple-A working on his command, and his “strike throwing’’ and “efficiency’’ impressed Boone during that 15-pitch debut, with 13 strikes.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Cam's night, Caballero's looming return & Yankee reliever's debut
Continue reading...
