Saturday's 1:35 PM ET first pitch at Yankee Stadium is the middle game of a three-game set, and it's a fun stylistic clash. The Reds (35-37) just stacked five wins in their last seven and hung 12-0 and 5-3 on the Mets on the way out of town. The Yankees (44-27) are still cruising in the AL East at 17 games over .500, but they're doing it shorthanded — and Cincinnati is the kind of team that can punish a thinned-out lineup if the at-bats get loose.
The injury report is where this game lives. Aaron Judge is in week 2 of his 4-to-6 week rib stress fracture timeline and isn't walking through that door Saturday. Giancarlo Stanton re-tweaked his calf, Austin Wells is on a Triple-A rehab assignment, and Trent Grisham just landed on the IL with a moderate hamstring strain. That's a lot of thump and a lot of glove not in the lineup card. Cincinnati's not exactly whole either — Elly De La Cruz is finally close to a rehab assignment but hasn't started one yet, and the rotation is still waiting on Hunter Greene.
- Day-To-DayConnor Burns C — no
- 10-Day-ILElly De La Cruz SS — De La Cruz (hamstring) is scheduled to begin running Tuesday and Wednesday, and he will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Gwinnett, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILKe'Bryan Hayes 3B — Hayes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
- 15-Day-ILPierce Johnson RP — Johnson (elbow) is scheduled to face live hitters in a simulated game or batting practice Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 15-Day-ILEmilio Pagan RP — Pagan (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is expected to throw another Monday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene SP — Greene (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Thursday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
- 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft RP — Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson SP — The Reds transferred Williamson (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayJasson Dominguez DH — Dominguez (teeth) is not in the starting lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the White Sox.
- Day-To-DayEric Reyzelman SP — no
- Day-To-DayTravis MacGregor SP — MacGregor underwent Tommy John surgery last September and will miss the entire 2019 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTrent Grisham CF — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Grisham has been diagnosed with a "moderate" right hamstring strain, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton DH — The Yankees announced that Stanton (calf) reinjured his calf and will have a slow week of activities, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILAustin Wells C — Wells (head) has been sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin a rehab assignment.
- 10-Day-ILAaron Judge RF — The Yankees announced Thursday that Judge has a stress fracture of his first rib on his right side and will be sidelined for 4-to-6 weeks before being re-evaluated, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMax Fried SP — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Fried (elbow) will throw off a mound Saturday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
The Yankees' answer so far has been Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. carrying the offense in spurts. Bellinger was sitting around an .824 OPS with 10 homers and 45 RBI heading into the Judge-less stretch, and Chisholm has been the heartbeat — he even grabbed Judge's 35-inch bat for a three-run shot in the Boston series earlier this month. The team has stayed afloat without their captain, but the margin for error is thinner than the standings make it look.
For the Reds, the story is the rotation behind whoever takes the ball Saturday. Cincinnati ran into the Mets and outscored them 17-3 over two games, which means the lineup's clicking even with De La Cruz still rehabbing. Rhett Lowder is in the mix for this series and Chase Burns has been getting big-league looks too, so this won't be a soft underbelly type of weekend for a Yankees lineup that's been swinging at non-strikes more than usual.
The vibe check: New York is the better team, but it's a matinee, both teams are in the middle of long homestand/road grinds, and the Yankees are running out a lineup with no Judge, no Stanton, no Grisham, and a backup catcher. The Reds have won 4 of 5 and just put a beating on a New York team they had no business beating up that badly. If you're looking for an upset spot in this series, the matinee is the spot.