The Yankees are 27-16 and somehow still feel like they're sinking. They got swept by the Brewers, then dropped the opener in Baltimore on Tuesday when Ryan Weathers carried a no-hit bid into the 7th in a 3-2 Orioles win. That's 4 straight losses, and Aaron Boone's postgame line was basically a shrug — "We're really good. We had a bad series." Cool. The standings still say first place in the AL East is slipping.
The reason there's no panic button on the dugout wall today: Max Fried. The lefty is 4-2 with a 2.91 ERA and has been the most reliable arm in this rotation with Gerrit Cole still rehabbing in Double-A. He leads MLB in innings pitched and hasn't allowed a run over his last 2 starts (14 frames). If you're going to halt a losing streak, this is the matchup you want.
Kyle Bradish counters for Baltimore at 1-5, 4.83, and the record is uglier than the stuff. He punched out 10 with just 1 walk against the A's on May 9 — a real step forward after walking at least 3 in each of his first 7 starts back from Tommy John. The Yankees already torched him on May 2 (9-4 loss, his woes documented in real time), so Bradish gets a quick rematch with something to prove.
The market hasn't budged on the Yankees despite the cold stretch. Pinnacle has them at -179 on the moneyline with a -1.5 runline, and DK money is piling on the favorite — 82% of the handle and 83% of the bets on New York. The EV column says you're paying full retail at -144 on DK, but the public clearly doesn't care about a 4-game skid when Fried is starting.
- 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.
- Day-To-DayBen Hess SP — Double-A Somerset placed Hess on its 7-day injured list April 18 due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILJose Caballero SS — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Caballero (finger) is expected to reclaim the team's starting shortstop job when he returns from the injured list, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton DH — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Stanton will undergo tests on his injured right calf in hopes of being cleared to ramp up his running this week, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
- 10-Day-ILJasson Dominguez LF — Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Dominguez will miss "a few weeks" after an MRI revealed a low-grade AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILGerrit Cole SP — Cole (elbow) completed five innings in his rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters.
- 15-Day-ILAngel Chivilli RP — Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Chivilli (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for roughly three weeks, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILClarke Schmidt SP — Schmidt (elbow) threw a bullpen session Friday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
- Day-To-DayDylan Beavers RF — Beavers is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch SP — no
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson LF — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- Day-To-DayKeagan Gillies P — Gillies will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a quad injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayLuis Vazquez SS — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Vazquez has been diagnosed with a broken right thumb, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJackson Holliday 2B — Holliday (hand) will play at third base in a rehab game with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 15-Day-ILGrant Wolfram RP — The Orioles placed Wolfram on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a lower-back strain, retroactive to Saturday.
- 15-Day-ILDean Kremer SP — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Kremer (quadriceps) has begun a throwing program, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The injury sheets are a mess on both sides. The Yankees are still without Stanton, Jasson Dominguez, Jose Caballero, and Cole, plus the bullpen took a hit with Angel Chivilli shut down 3 weeks. Baltimore is arguably in worse shape — Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Heston Kjerstad, Zach Eflin (TJ), Cade Povich, Dean Kremer, and Ryan Helsley are all on the shelf, and Dylan Beavers was out of Tuesday's lineup. Both rosters are duct tape right now.
Bottom line: getaway-day 12:05 first pitch, Fried vs. a Bradish who finally looked like himself last time out. If the Yankees can't get right behind their ace against a 19-24 club playing without half its infield, the conversation about this team gets a lot louder by tonight.