Cole, 12 2/3 scoreless innings into his return from a 569-day Tommy John layoff, draws a Reds club that just got carved up 9-1 by the Mets on Wednesday. Across from him is Burns, 8-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings, walking into Yankee Stadium for what is shaping up as the biggest start of his rookie year. On stuff alone, this is the best pitching matchup the Reds will see all month.
The Yankees are 45-27 and have ripped off 4 wins in 5, with a 12-2 and a 10-5 stomping of the White Sox to close out the homestand. They're doing it without Aaron Judge (rib stress fracture, out into August), Giancarlo Stanton (calf, re-aggravated), Austin Wells (head, rehab) and Trent Grisham (hamstring). That has Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones and Jose Caballero carrying a bigger share than anyone drew up in March, and they keep covering it.
- 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-ILEmilio Pagan RP — Pagan (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game/live batting practice session at Yankee Stadium on Friday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILPierce Johnson RP — Johnson (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, MLB.com 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-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.
- 60-Day-ILClarke Schmidt SP — Schmidt (elbow) has been "feeling great" during recent mound sessions and could start throwing to hitters by the end of June, per MLB.com.
The Reds are 35-38 and stuck in neutral. Elly De La Cruz is finally close — he's slated to start a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A — but he's not walking through the Yankee Stadium doors for this one. Hunter Greene, Emilio Pagan and Pierce Johnson are all still working back, which means a depleted bullpen behind Burns and very little margin if the rookie hits 90 pitches in the 5th.
Stylistically this is the kind of game that swings on 2 or 3 swings. Cole's velocity is back up post-surgery, Burns lives in the upper 90s with a slider that's already a finished product, and Yankee Stadium's short porch turns any mistake heater into a souvenir. Whoever blinks first probably loses, and the team with more thump on the bench right now is the one without its MVP.
For the Reds, Sunday is also a chance to steal a series split off a team that's been bullying lesser opponents. For the Yankees, it's about staying on the gas in the AL East while they wait on Judge, Stanton and Fried to come back. By 4:30 PM ET we'll know if Burns can travel and if Cole's clean slate has another zero on it.