JASSON DOMINGUEZ PLAYED LIKE A TRUE THROWBACK

Maybe this is the old man in me talking, but baseball today feels a little… moisturized. Everybody’s worried about “load management,” preserving bodies, launch angles, recovery days, sleep metrics, hydration charts, and whether a guy’s heart rate got too high jogging to first base. Somewhere along the way, baseball stopped looking like a game played by maniacs and started looking like an HR department seminar.

I grew up watching players who treated the warning track like it was optional and basic human safety like a rumor.

Pete Rose didn’t slide into bases — he tried to assassinate them. The man played baseball like he had unpaid parking tickets waiting at every bag. Headfirst dives, dirt in his teeth, jersey permanently stained brown. Nobody ever accused Pete Rose of “taking a smarter angle.” The only angle he knew was full speed.

Then you had Ken Griffey Sr. and Dave Winfield scaling outfield walls in Yankee Stadium like rent was due at midnight. Those guys didn’t jog toward fly balls calculating risk assessment percentages. They went after baseballs with the kind of recklessness normally associated with action movies and bad financial decisions.

And don’t even get me started on Derek Jeter launching himself face-first into the stands against Boston. The man basically became an airborne folding chair just to record an out. Bloody face, bruised shoulder and Yankee fans still replay that clip like it’s the Zapruder film. THAT was baseball.

And honestly, that’s why I’m rolling my eyes at everyone ripping Jasson Domínguez for smashing into the wall making that catch against Texas. People are calling it stupid. I’m calling it beautiful.

The kid ran 81 feet tracking a rocket off the bat, went full speed into the chain-link part of the wall, got absolutely detonated on impact, lost his sunglasses, lost his hat, probably briefly lost contact with several ancestors — and STILL held onto the baseball.

That’s not stupidity. That’s baseball DNA. That is why you play the game. That is why Sportscenter invented the 10 ten plays!

That’s “the run doesn’t score because I’m catching this ball no matter what happens afterward.”

And yes, he got hurt. Shoulder sprain. Concussion protocol. He’ll miss a few weeks. But since when did effort become something we criticize? Since when did “he played too hard” become an insult?

Baseball was built on lunatics doing unreasonable things for outs. Why? Because it's the greatest game ever made.

You know who else played like this? Aaron Rowand. That man once smashed face-first into the center-field wall in Philadelphia so hard it looked like he got hit by a city bus, then walked away bleeding because he caught the ball anyway. ESPN literally dubbed players like him part of the “All-Run-Through-A-Wall Team.” Aaron Rowand played center field like every fly ball had personally insulted his family.

And then there was Jim Edmonds — a human highlight. The guy treated diving catches like performance art. Half the time he’d leave his feet so dramatically you’d think he got launched out of a cannon.  Jim Edmonds basically created baseball pornography for SportsCenter. Before every phone became a television studio, people waited all night to see the SportsCenter Top 10 because some lunatic center fielder sacrificed his skeletal structure robbing a double in July.

That stuff MATTERED.

Now everybody immediately turns into a risk-management consultant.
“He should’ve protected himself.”
“He needs to think long-term.”
“He’s too valuable.”
“He shouldn’t risk injury in May.”

Man… what happened to us?

 

You play to WIN THE GAME. You play to steal outs. You play to make the pitcher walk back to the dugout screaming into his glove because you just erased a guaranteed extra-base hit.

And what makes Domínguez’s play even better is this: the kid easily could’ve coasted. He JUST came back from an elbow bruise. Nobody would’ve crushed him for pulling up a step early. Most modern players probably make the “business decision” there, let the ball bounce off the wall, and jog after it while pretending they almost had it.

Not Domínguez. He went full-send. And that’s why I respect it.

That’s also why I’ll always love guys like Harrison Bader. Sure, the guy gets hurt a lot. But every inning looks like his mortgage depends on making the next catch. There’s something refreshing about players who still play with chaos in them. Because baseball is supposed to have some chaos.

It’s supposed to have dirt-stained uniforms, guys crashing into walls, catchers blocking the plate, infielders diving into the hole, and outfielders running like their cleats are on fire. Not everything needs to be optimized by a sports scientist with an iPad and a protein shake.

Of course players should be smart. Nobody’s saying careers should end for one catch in May. But there’s a massive difference between being smart and being soft. And lately, the line between those two keeps getting blurrier.

So no, I’m not criticizing Jasson Domínguez. I’m applauding him. Because for one play, baseball looked dangerous again.

It looked emotional again.
It looked gritty again.
It looked like the game I grew up loving.

And honestly?
We need more of that.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

16 YEARS OF HAPPINESS AT BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!

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That’s where the merchandise comes in, and it’s also where things get interesting. Just want to be clear; The Bleeding Yankee Blue shop lives on TeePublic, through a creator storefront system powered by Dashery and TeePublic’s production platform. You can browse it directly HERE! 

 

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BYB's long-standing presence has helped build that identity. Since 2010, it has developed a consistent voice that readers recognize instantly. Over time, that kind of consistency creates loyalty, and loyalty eventually turns into community behavior—sharing posts, following updates, and yes, buying merch that represents the same voice they’ve been reading for years.

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And that’s where everything comes full circle. A grassroots Yankees blog becomes a fan voice. That voice builds a loyal audience. That audience becomes a community. And that community starts wearing the identity they’ve helped sustain.

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YANKEES CONNECTED TO TATIS? I WILL GIVE YOU MY TAKE

Even when the Yankees are firing on all cylinders, the rumor machine never seems to take a day off. The latest star being tossed into the Bronx conversation? Fernando Tatis Jr..

According to The Sporting News and Jon Conahan, the Yankees have once again been linked to Tatis, despite already looking like one of baseball’s most dangerous teams. The speculation traces back to comments from Thomas Carelli of Sports Illustrated, who believes New York could absolutely pursue a blockbuster if a player of Tatis’ caliber ever truly became available.

And to be fair, when a superstar’s name starts floating around trade rumors, the Yankees are almost automatically included. It’s basically baseball law at this point.

Carelli explained that the Yankees’ global brand and endless push to win make them a natural fit in any major-player discussion.

“The Yankees are not just a team; they are a worldwide brand. They demand to win now, and now is always now,” Carelli wrote, while also pointing out how Yankee Stadium could potentially boost Tatis’ numbers compared to the more pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

The logic behind the rumors is easy enough to follow. The Padres have one of the heavier payroll situations in baseball, there’s ongoing chatter about long-term financial flexibility, and the Yankees are always searching for elite-level talent — even when they don’t necessarily need it.

But that’s where this gets interesting.

Do the Yankees really need Tatis right now? Honestly, probably not.

A couple of seasons ago, adding a player like him would’ve felt like a necessity. But this current Yankees roster already has plenty of firepower, balance, and chemistry. The offense is producing, the team looks confident, and the clubhouse appears to have found a rhythm that doesn’t exactly scream, “Please trade half the farm system for another superstar.”

That’s why this feels much more like speculative baseball theater than a realistic trade scenario.

As of right now, there’s no confirmed indication that the Yankees are aggressively pursuing Tatis. The connection exists mostly because of circumstances: San Diego’s payroll concerns, New York’s reputation for chasing stars, and the fact that Tatis is the type of talent every franchise would at least inquire about.

Could the Yankees make a call if he somehow hit the market? Of course. Teams don’t ignore players like Fernando Tatis Jr. But with the Yankees already clicking the way they are, this feels less like a must-have move and more like another case of people attaching the Yankees logo to a superstar simply because it makes headlines easier to sell.

VOLPE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE LEAGUER OUT THERE!

Anthony Volpe pulled off one of the dumbest baserunning mistakes you’ll see. I'll set the scene; May 6th. Somehow it made his already shaky situation look even worse. Two outs. Spencer Jones smokes a double. Every baseball player on earth knows you run hard immediately because the inning ends if you get thrown out anyway. And Volpe still failed to score from first base.

It wasn’t bad luck. It wasn’t a great defensive play. It was pure clueless baseball.

Whether he flat-out forgot the number of outs or just loafed down the line, the result was the same: a pathetic display from a guy supposedly trying to prove he belongs back in the majors. Fans immediately called him out because the play looked lazy, unaware, and completely unacceptable for someone fighting to save his job. Just read social media. And make no mistake — his job absolutely is in danger.

Volpe is sitting in Triple-A with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after shoulder surgery rehab while Jose Caballero has basically stolen his spot by actually producing at the major league level. And he should, he's better. The Yankees didn’t send Volpe down because Caballero was “solid.” They kept Volpe down because the team looks better without him right now. My opinion, but they won't say that. But that’s the brutal reality.

Sure, Volpe has had a couple decent rehab games. A hard-hit infield single here, a double there, batting around .241 in the minors during recovery. Congratulations. None of that excuses looking completely brain-dead on the bases in a moment where basic effort and awareness were required.

This is supposed to be the part where Volpe dominates Triple-A and forces the Yankees to bring him back. Instead, he’s out there making mistakes that make people question whether he even understands situational baseball anymore. It's like Little League. When a former top prospect can’t score from first on a two-out double because he either forgot the outs or didn’t hustle, that’s not “rust.” That’s embarrassing.

At this point, the Yankees have every reason to keep him buried in Triple-A until he proves he can stop playing like a guy who’s completely overwhelmed. That or trade him to the Reds.

IT'S SPENCER JONES TIME!

 Ladies and gentlemen, hide your fastballs. Spencer Jones is on the way to the Bronx.

According to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR, the Yankees are calling up their towering outfield prospect after Jasson Domínguez unfortunately landed on the injured list following a scary crash into the wall during today’s game. Domínguez stayed down for several minutes before being carted off, and Aaron Boone later confirmed the rookie will miss a few weeks with a low-grade AC sprain in his left shoulder. The good news? Concussion tests have come back negative so far.

The bad news for Triple-A pitchers? They no longer have to deal with Spencer Jones.

Because make no mistake — this guy has been bullying baseballs in Scranton. Through 33 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jones has launched 11 homers, driven in 41 runs, and posted a .958 OPS while looking every bit like the Yankees’ next giant science project gone right. And yes, giant is the key word here. The man is 6-foot-7 and built like Aaron Judge was left in the dryer too long.

The power has always been absurd. Scouts drool over the “65-grade” pop. But what’s changed this year is the approach. Jones reportedly worked in a toe-tap timing mechanism similar to Shohei Ohtani’s, helping trim down the strikeouts and unlock the version of himself Yankees fans have been dreaming about since he was drafted.

This is also exactly why the Yankees added him to the 40-man roster back in November. They knew another team would’ve stolen him in the Rule 5 Draft faster than Boone can overmanage a bullpen.

Now the Yankees finally get their first real look at the kid in the big leagues.

The Martian may be temporarily grounded, but the Yankees are replacing him with a left-handed skyscraper capable of launching baseballs into low Earth orbit. Spencer Jones time has arrived.

Ben Rice, Spencer Jones. Both up in the same lineup? Bencer baby.

THE RAYS ARE BREATHING DOWN THE YANKEES NECK

The 2026 New York Yankees are having the kind of season that makes the Bronx buzz again. Thank God. I mean the Yankees front office bet on their rotation doing what they wanted them to do without Rodon and Cole and for some strange reason, the rotation has been stellar. The rotation looks dangerous, the bats are loud and the standings suggest Yankees baseball is once again headed toward the upswing. Now I am a realist... it is only May, but damn it feels good. I had to laugh the other night. After the Yankees beat the Rangers 2 nights ago 7-4, Joe Girardi said something absurd. He said to Kay something to the effect of "This feels like 1998 all over again", to which Kay paused longer than normal and said... "Well, that's a mouthful." It was awkward and the reason is simple... it's only May. That being said, things are clicking. Aaron Judge continues to launch baseballs into neighboring zip codes, the bullpen has mostly stabilized, and the Yankees have looked like a legitimate American League powerhouse so far.

But there is one gigantic problem hanging over all of it like a rain cloud over the Bleacher Creatures. Wins are great, but we want a championship. And until Aaron Boone delivers one, every hot streak, every division lead, and every carefully worded postgame quote comes with an asterisk the size of the George Washington Bridge. Boone isn't a winner... a WORLD CHAMPION.  The Yankees have one standard: World Series titles. Boone has been manager since 2018 and still has not delivered one. That is the conversation. Everything else is background noise right now. Let's keep it real.

And speaking of uncomfortable conversations, here come the Tampa Bay Rays again.

Like clockwork.

Every single year baseball analysts predict the Rays will “take a step back,” and every single year they hang on. The Rays are once again neck-and-neck with New York in the AL East, and in some ways they may actually be the more complete team. They already swept the Yankees earlier this season and exposed some of the exact flaws that continue to haunt Boone’s Yankees in big moments: sloppy situational hitting, questionable bullpen management, defensive lapses, and an inability to adjust once momentum swings the other direction.  Tampa Bay, meanwhile, keeps doing more with less.

Less payroll. Less media attention. Less star power. And somehow, often, more competence. That is what drives Yankees fans insane.

The Rays are baseball’s version of the guy who beats you at golf using borrowed clubs while drinking a gas station coffee and wearing cargo shorts. Nothing about it looks flashy, but by the 18th hole you are down six strokes and questioning your life choices.  Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has again become one of the nastiest groups in baseball. Their ability to develop arms borders on black magic. Drew Rasmussen has been dominant again, the bullpen continues shutting games down with terrifying efficiency, and the Rays’ run prevention remains elite.

Meanwhile, the Yankees still too often look like a team waiting for Aaron Judge to solve every problem personally. And that is where Boone continues taking heat and he should. For example, you all know Boone wanted Anthony Volpe to be back with them in the Bronx, but thank God someone with a brain in their head realized that Volpe is no longer good, and no longer marketable in the Bronx. Fans don't like him, and don't want him.  And that's the problem with Boone. He made the wrong decisions, and in my opinion, while this run is great, it's May... don't worry, Boone will mess this up somehow.

When games tighten up, the Yankees can start managing scared. Bullpen moves become overcomplicated science experiments. Hitters abandon approaches. Defensive mistakes snowball. Fans watch Boone emerge from the dugout with the expression of a man trying to remember whether he left the oven on. The frustration is not about regular season wins anymore. Yankees fans have seen enough 95-win seasons with no payoff. 

What makes the Rays comparison especially brutal is that Tampa Bay often looks mentally tougher in high-pressure situations despite operating with a fraction of the Yankees’ resources. They play cleaner baseball. Smarter baseball. More adaptable baseball. And they do it without acting like every close game requires a four-hour committee meeting.

That is why the 2026 AL East race feels so fascinating.

The Yankees are absolutely dangerous right now. Their ceiling is still championship-level if everything clicks. But the Rays continue to look great, and that's the bottom line. And while I want the Yankees to succeed... I can't help but wonder when Boone will fall over himself and overmanage and take us on a losing streak, because let's face it... you know it's coming. 

Right now however, the Rays may honestly look more trustworthy when the games start mattering most. We shall see.  I hope I'm wrong, because as a true Yankee fan, it's really hard to root for this team with someone as incompetent as Boone at the helm.  

That's my issue, not yours.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF TRADITION, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THIS!

For decades, we have seen the Yankees wear gray on the road and pinstripes at home. It's all we have ever known as 28 other teams have experimented in recent years. That may be about to change, and if you love the Yankee traditional uniforms, you just might hate it.

Last month, The Athletic reported HERE (subscription required) that players were in favor of alternate road jerseys. It's an interesting idea, and I know "interesting" might not be the word some fans use here. The Yankees have been all about branding and protecting that branding at all costs. It's a valid point, but also a way for the Yankees to make more money by offering more merchandise. Plus, if the players support it, I guess it's bound to garner more support.

"I think the alternates are cool," second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. said HERE. "For me, it's no big deal which uniforms we wear. When I was in Miami, wearing the teal pinstripes was a big deal. But I'm in New York. It's pinstripes, and we wear whatever else on the road. The road never really bothered me, or I've never thought about, ‘Oh, we need to change,’ or anything. It's whatever. If they don't do it, it's fine with me." 

Even Aaron Judge referenced tradition HERE and made a valid point. "I'm all about tradition, but we've got a patch on our sleeves," in reference to the Starr Insurance advertisements that were added to the Yankees uniforms in July of 2023. It's something that I certainly never thought was possible....until it happened. I still don't like it but if the Yankees are okay with advertising on their uniform, would adding another alternate jersey be so awful?

I guess if you are a purist, the answer to that question is YES. But if you are the Yankees it gives you more merchandise to sell and the opportunity to make more money. That is after all the only thing Hal Steinbrenner seems to care about. To hell with winning, he just wants to turn a good profit. This allows him to do that, so that's why it will happen.

Over the years, the Yankees have started to stray away from tradition. In addition to the Starr Insurance patch, last year the Yankees eliminated their nearly 50-year-old policy prohibiting beards. In-game entertainment has even changed with more frequent music and sound effects. The Yankees are evolving.

So why not with a uniform? And not even a NEW uniform at that. The Yankees have approval to use their existing spring training navy batting tops as an alternate uniform. It's already hanging in their closets, they already wear it and we know it. At least it's not a crazy City Connect uniform that doesn't match the Yankee branding. It could be a lot worse.

The Yankees aren't reinventing the wheel, but if you are a traditionalist you might still hate it. If you do hate it, you better start getting used to it because this sounds like the next big change. The days of only gray or pinstripes might be over.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THE GREAT VOLPE HYPOTHESIS

At some point, the Yankees’ entire Anthony Volpe evaluation stops feeling like development and starts feeling like institutional stubbornness wrapped in optimism.

Anthony Volpe was supposed to be the clean answer at shortstop—the polished, high-IQ, “we got our guy” prospect the organization could point to as proof its scouting machine still worked. Instead, what they’ve gotten is a player who looks less like a cornerstone in progress and more like a long, uncomfortable recalibration of expectations that never should’ve been this high in the first place.

And yes, that’s where the criticism has to start—not just with Volpe, but with the Yankees’ scouting and development staff that stamped him as the future face of the infield. Because if this is the result, then the original projection wasn’t just aggressive—it was wrong. Not slightly off. Not “needs time.” Wrong in the way that forces everyone else to keep adjusting the story around it.

Volpe’s bat simply hasn’t matched the billing. The glove keeps him in conversations, but the offensive production has never stabilized into anything resembling the impact bat the Yankees publicly sold. At a certain point, “he’s still developing” stops sounding like a phase and starts sounding like a delay tactic.

And yet, the organization continues to operate as if the original scouting report must eventually be vindicated through sheer repetition. Volpe gets reset after reset, runway after runway, as if opportunity itself is the missing tool. Meanwhile, the rest of the roster—and the system—gets contorted to preserve the belief.

That ripple effect is where things get even more revealing.

George Lombard Jr., a natural shortstop with legitimate defensive polish and rising offensive projection, is being pushed around the infield at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, logging time at second base and third base despite being a true shortstop by trade. 

The justification is flexibility, versatility, readiness. The reality feels more like accommodation—shaping the next wave of talent around the uncertainty of the current one.

And that’s where the uncomfortable truth starts to form: the Yankees are effectively asking their best shortstop prospect to become something else, not because he lacks the ability to stick at the position, but because the guy ahead of him hasn’t justified being displaced.

Which leads to the inevitable, increasingly unavoidable thought: maybe Volpe’s long-term home was never shortstop to begin with.

If the Volpe bat doesn’t take the leap, and if the defensive value is no longer enough to carry everyday expectations at premium position standards, then the conversation naturally shifts. Not as a demotion, but as a correction. I believe that Volpe needs to move to 2nd base. A move to second base isn’t a punishment—it might be the most honest version of his skill set. Less pressure on range-based heroics, more emphasis on stability, contact, and role clarity.

In fact, if you zoom out far enough, the most realistic version of this entire infield puzzle might already be forming: Volpe as a second baseman, not a franchise shortstop, fitting into a roster that eventually changes around him anyway. Especially in a world where pieces like Jazz Chisholm Jr. rarely stay static and positional reshuffling is more rule than exception.

But none of that changes the core issue: the Yankees didn’t just draft Volpe. They declared him before he ever proved it. And now they’re living inside the consequences of trying to make the projection true instead of letting the performance define the player.

That’s why Lombard is moving around the infield and not playing his spot. That’s why Volpe keeps getting opportunities. And that’s why the entire infield feels like it’s being built around a dumb Volpe decision the organization made years ago—and is still trying, stubbornly, to justify today.

At some point, development stops being about what a player becomes… and starts being about what an organization refuses to admit.

RODON TO COME BACK WITH THE ROAR!

Carlos Rodón is in the home stretch of his rehab assignment following his October 2025 elbow procedure, where surgeons cleared out loose bodies and shaved down a bone spur. In baseball terms, the maintenance work is done, and now it’s about proving the arm is ready for prime time again.

If today’s Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outing goes according to plan, the next stop isn’t another rehab start—it’s the Bronx. No layover, no delay—just straight back into the Yankees rotation.

“It felt good—just dialing in the fastball, mixing in some sliders and changeups, getting my work in,” Rodón said. Translation: the checklist is complete, and the engine’s humming.

And this hasn’t exactly been a casual tune-up. In his April 30 start with Double-A Somerset, Rodón struck out eight over 5.1 innings, looking far more like a frontline starter than a guy knocking off rust. Rehab? Sure. Dominant? Also yes.

Before the elbow detour, Rodón was quietly putting together a monster year:

• 18–9 record (tied for second in MLB)
• 3.09 ERA (firmly among the AL’s best)
• 203 strikeouts 
• 195.1 innings  

So, what happens when you drop that version of Rodón back into an already strong Yankees rotation? Good question—one with the kind of answer contenders love: too many good options.

And let’s be honest, if Rodón comes back throwing like this, somebody’s seat might get a little less comfortable. A bullpen shift for Weathers? Not exactly a wild idea—and honestly, it might make the whole staff even nastier.

END OF AN ERA

I crossed paths with John Sterling once, and it felt exactly how you’d hope it would. He was warm, gracious, and every bit the gentleman his voice suggested. We traded a few pleasantries, and I told him something I’d meant for years—that listening to him was a comfort, like a familiar rhythm in the background of life. I loved him in the booth, especially alongside Suzyn Waldman. Together, they weren’t just calling games—they were part of the experience. Yup, sometimes it was absurd, but many times looking back... it just worked.

There was always something a little larger-than-life about John Sterling. Not just the voice, but the presence behind it.

And now, some tough news to take in: John Sterling has passed away at 87. The New York Yankees confirmed it Monday. He took over play-by-play duties in 1989 and somehow turned consistency into legend—over 5,000 consecutive broadcasts without missing a game. That’s an ironman saga. Even when he eased into a lighter schedule later on, his voice never lost its spark.

And those calls… unforgettable. “It is high, it is far, it is gone!” still echoes like it’s bouncing off the upper deck. And when it was all said and done: “Ballgame over. Yankees win. Theeeeeeeee Yankees WIN!”—no one stretched a moment quite like he did.

Rest easy, John. Thanks for the soundtrack.

BEN RICE IS OUT, BUT FOR HOW LONG?

The Yankees have won the first three games of the series against the Baltimore Orioles with a chance to sweep. The win came with home runs from Ben Rice and Aaron Judge and a continued streak of good luck....with the exception of one moment that could jeopardize all of that luck.

Rice started the game off with a home run in the first, but left the game after the third inning with a bruised left hand after fielding a pickoff throw from Max Fried.

 

"I read that the throw was going to going to be low. I thought it was going to be a little lower than it actually was," Rice said. "So I kind of went down quickly like it was going to be in the dirt and then it kind of just stayed up at the end. So I caught it poorly, kind of hit in the palm," read more HERE.

Rice has already had X-rays done, and they have come back negative thankfully, but now what? Deep  bruises like that can linger and that hit on the palm can make it hard to get that good grip on the bat. Any potential missed time from Rice would be a huge void for the Yankees. So far, Rice has a .343 batting average with 12 homers and 27 RBI in 33 games, with 25 starts at first base.

After the game, Rice was already saying he is feeling better, and the Yankees will approach his injury as day-to-day. Right now it sounds like the Yankees have dodged a bullet with Rice and now we all hold our breath and hope this doesn't turn into a bigger thing. We've had relatively good luck so far this season (when you compare every other recent year) with only Giancarlo Stanton being the notable exception. I'd like to keep it at that.

So I'm not gonna expect to see Rice in the lineup today....but I am gonna hope to see him in a game here very soon. Fingers crossed.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

VOLPE GONZO

The easiest decision the New York Yankees have made all season finally happened—and yes, it involved sending Anthony Volpe to the minors.

Let’s not pretend this was some bold, galaxy-brain move by the front office. The New York Times called the decision "shocking". The only person who is shocked is Anthony Volpe's daddy.  Trust me.  Every fan knew this was baseball common sense. The kind of move that, had they not made it, would’ve triggered a full-blown Bronx meltdown. We’re talking pitchforks out, talk radio on fire, and Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman getting absolutely roasted like it’s a summer cookout in the bleachers.

Instead, credit where it’s due—they read the room. Barely, but they got there.

The Yankees made the announcement shortly after steamrolling the Baltimore Orioles 11-3 in the Bronx, a game that—conveniently—highlighted exactly why Volpe doesn’t belong anywhere near the big-league lineup right now.

And sure, Boone will step up to the mic eventually and deliver the usual greatest hits: “still rehabbing,” “just needs reps,” “not quite 100%.” You can practically hear it before he says it. But let’s cut through the PR fog.

Meanwhile, José Caballero is doing everything in his power to make this decision permanent. The guy is raking, playing sharp defense, and generally looking like someone who understands the assignment: hit the ball, help the team, don’t make it complicated.

This isn’t a rehab assignment story. This is a performance story. It has to be.

And right now, one guy is producing… and the other is a question mark with a once-promising label that’s starting to peel.

So yes, the Yankees finally did the right thing. Not the flashy thing. Not the hopeful thing. The right thing.

Now the real test?
They stick to it.