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NEW YORK – On a quiet, cold Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, there was plenty of shared regret on the home side.
Old friend Luis Severino was against the ropes in the first inning – two runs in, his pitch count soaring, the walks already piling up.
But he lasted five innings and the Athletics hung around long enough to post a ninth-inning run against closer David Bednar, which carried them to a 3-2 win.
The last chance for the Yankees was No. 9 hitter Ryan McMahon, who got ahead 3-and-0 against A’s righty and closer-of-the-moment Joel Kuhnel before striking out to end it.
It was a 1-2-3 inning for Kuhnel versus the Yanks’ 7-8-9 hitters, and, yes, Yanks’ manager Aaron Boone considered pinch-hitting Austin Wells for Amed Rosario but ultimately “decided not to.’’
Before the game, Boone decided to give McMahon his first MLB start at shortstop, allowing Rosario – following his two-homer night in Tuesday’s victory – to start again at third base.
Defense naturally wasn’t a problem, and McMahon made several good plays early – short hops, backhands – that helped him settle in.
But already, we’ve seen the lefty-hitting McMahon benched twice against righty starters, due to his rough start – now 2-for-26 with 13 strikeouts.
Since his acquisition via trade from Colorado last summer, McMahon is a .189 hitter (35-for-185) with four homers and a whopping 75 strikeouts.
And yet, the Yankees became a better team in 2025, in part, due to McMahon’s sure-handed play at third.
Due to his superior defense, McMahon is very likely to return to third base for Thursday afternoon’s series finale, with lefty Ryan Weathers scheduled to start for the Yanks.
Rosario will get a couple of starts this weekend at Tampa Bay, with the Rays set to throw lefties. He also made a throwing error Wednesday, part of the trade-off for that potential offensive boost.
“If I knew, I don’t think I’d be in this situation,’’ McMahon said of his rocky start. “I’m not happy about it.’’
Meant to increase McMahon’s contact rate and cut down on swing-and-miss, he adopted a narrower batting stance this year, with his hands in a higher position.
Exhibition game results shouldn’t be over analyzed, but McMahon hit .170 (8-for-47, 15 Ks) in spring training and he’s plainly struggled to find any rhythm in the very early going here.
“Mac’s a good major league hitter,’’ said Boone. “He’s scuffling right now, but the reality is, the last three games he’s been on base four times (3 walks, single).
“We want him to improve even (over) who he’s been in his career,’’ Boone said, referencing high strikeout totals and low averages. “He’s off to a slow start right now, but a number of our guys are.’’
Along with Aaron Judge, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. picked up his 2025 AL Silver Slugger Award before the game, but he’s off to a slow start, as is Austin Wells - coming off a down 2025 offensively.
They're not alone. Small sample size, cold weather – all of that applies. On Wednesday, even Ben Rice had a rough night, with four strikeouts in four at-bats.
So far, Jose Caballero isn’t lighting the world afire with his bat (5-for-35, one RBI) or his shortstop defense, and he was on the bench Wednesday – after 10 straight starts.
Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe (left shoulder surgery) could begin a minor league rehab assignment as early as next week, and Oswaldo Cabrera is a phone call away at Triple-A.
In other words, the Yankees’ infield makeup is still a fluid thing, and Boone’s recent words about “competition’’ always being “a good thing’’ plays a part here.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the team winning,’’ said McMahon. “So, I’ll keep working to turn it around.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is it getting late early for Yankees' Ryan McMahon?
Continue reading...
Old friend Luis Severino was against the ropes in the first inning – two runs in, his pitch count soaring, the walks already piling up.
But he lasted five innings and the Athletics hung around long enough to post a ninth-inning run against closer David Bednar, which carried them to a 3-2 win.
The last chance for the Yankees was No. 9 hitter Ryan McMahon, who got ahead 3-and-0 against A’s righty and closer-of-the-moment Joel Kuhnel before striking out to end it.
It was a 1-2-3 inning for Kuhnel versus the Yanks’ 7-8-9 hitters, and, yes, Yanks’ manager Aaron Boone considered pinch-hitting Austin Wells for Amed Rosario but ultimately “decided not to.’’
Amed Rosario in the Yankees' mix
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Before the game, Boone decided to give McMahon his first MLB start at shortstop, allowing Rosario – following his two-homer night in Tuesday’s victory – to start again at third base.
Defense naturally wasn’t a problem, and McMahon made several good plays early – short hops, backhands – that helped him settle in.
But already, we’ve seen the lefty-hitting McMahon benched twice against righty starters, due to his rough start – now 2-for-26 with 13 strikeouts.
Since his acquisition via trade from Colorado last summer, McMahon is a .189 hitter (35-for-185) with four homers and a whopping 75 strikeouts.
And yet, the Yankees became a better team in 2025, in part, due to McMahon’s sure-handed play at third.
Due to his superior defense, McMahon is very likely to return to third base for Thursday afternoon’s series finale, with lefty Ryan Weathers scheduled to start for the Yanks.
Rosario will get a couple of starts this weekend at Tampa Bay, with the Rays set to throw lefties. He also made a throwing error Wednesday, part of the trade-off for that potential offensive boost.
Ryan McMahon's rough start to 2026
“If I knew, I don’t think I’d be in this situation,’’ McMahon said of his rocky start. “I’m not happy about it.’’
Meant to increase McMahon’s contact rate and cut down on swing-and-miss, he adopted a narrower batting stance this year, with his hands in a higher position.
Exhibition game results shouldn’t be over analyzed, but McMahon hit .170 (8-for-47, 15 Ks) in spring training and he’s plainly struggled to find any rhythm in the very early going here.
“Mac’s a good major league hitter,’’ said Boone. “He’s scuffling right now, but the reality is, the last three games he’s been on base four times (3 walks, single).
“We want him to improve even (over) who he’s been in his career,’’ Boone said, referencing high strikeout totals and low averages. “He’s off to a slow start right now, but a number of our guys are.’’
Yankees setting up for infield competition
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Along with Aaron Judge, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. picked up his 2025 AL Silver Slugger Award before the game, but he’s off to a slow start, as is Austin Wells - coming off a down 2025 offensively.
They're not alone. Small sample size, cold weather – all of that applies. On Wednesday, even Ben Rice had a rough night, with four strikeouts in four at-bats.
So far, Jose Caballero isn’t lighting the world afire with his bat (5-for-35, one RBI) or his shortstop defense, and he was on the bench Wednesday – after 10 straight starts.
Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe (left shoulder surgery) could begin a minor league rehab assignment as early as next week, and Oswaldo Cabrera is a phone call away at Triple-A.
In other words, the Yankees’ infield makeup is still a fluid thing, and Boone’s recent words about “competition’’ always being “a good thing’’ plays a part here.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the team winning,’’ said McMahon. “So, I’ll keep working to turn it around.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Is it getting late early for Yankees' Ryan McMahon?
Continue reading...
