VOIT BACK, BABY! BUT THERE'S BAD NEWS...

Well, I am damn happy to report that Luke Voit is back baby!

Gotta love that report!

The New York Post writes:

"Voit returned from a sports hernia following a rehab stint and will be available for their series opener against Oakland..."

But here's the bad news. Gio Urshela, whom everyone thought would return tonight with some soreness, was placed on the 10-day IL.

That also comes from the Post:

"Urshela, who was removed from Wednesday’s game in Seattle with left groin tightness, landed on the 10-day IL. DJ LeMahieu could be used at third base in Urshela’s absence..."

And there you have it.

Go Yanks!

SKAGGS DIED BECAUSE OF A DEADLY MIXTURE OF OPIOIDS & ALCOHOL

This story just gets more sad every time I read about it.

The results of the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs came out today and it's horrible.

The Los Angeles Times has this:

"...Tyler Skaggs had the opioids fentanyl and oxycodone along with alcohol in his system when he was found dead in his Texas hotel room July 1, according to a toxicology report released Friday by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

The cause of death is listed as a mixture of “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents,” meaning Skaggs, 27, essentially choked on his vomit while under the influence. The death, according to the report, was ruled an accident. He was found on his bed, fully clothed, and there were no signs of trauma."

Just awful. Now we know. It doesn't make it any better. I am so tired of all this opioid garbage. It is addictive and killing young people.   You saw the news about Johnson & Johnson this week right? This is Time magazine:

"An Oklahoma judge ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for its role in the opioid crisis in a historic ruling on Monday, marking the first time an opioid manufacturer has been deemed responsible in court and made to pay damages. 

It could have implications for the slew of lawsuits filed against opioid manufacturers and distributors throughout the country."

The point is the drug is deadly and there needs to be better regulation.  Skaggs is one, but there are many families that are broken up because of this garbage. It needs to stop.

Rest in peace Tyler. I pray for your family.

SHOULD WE EXPECT GIO TONIGHT?

Gio Urshela is hurt. Another Yankee hurt isn't a surprise, but Gio being hurt is not something we need at the moment. On Wednesday's game against Seattle, Urshela had to exit due to left groin tightness.

Source: New York Post

“I think he is OK, just got a little tight in the groin so want to be safe with that and hopefully it is something that is not a big deal,’’ manager Aaron Boone said.

Urshela said he felt the discomfort after singling in the second inning while running the bases. He also moved to second on a wild pitch during the same inning.

Source: Bleacher Report

“I think it just got a little tight,” Urshela said. “I don’t think it’s that bad.”

Hopefully, Gio will be able to play tonight, if not Luke Voit will be able to fill in. 

With Gio being our biggest surprise of this year, it will important for the Yankees to not only have him healthy for the of the season, but for the post season as well.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

WHAT ARE THE YANKEES WILLING TO SPEND ON DIDI GREGORIUS?

Interesting tidbit today that caught my eye about Didi Gregorius. We love Didi, and the Yankees love Didi too. The Yankees were considering an extension at the beginning of the season but it's rumored they never got close to getting it done. Now they may be thinking ahead to free agency instead.

Take it with a grain of salt, but rumor has it the Yankees are considering what their "max out" would be to spend on Didi in free agency now. Again, just a rumor but an interesting one. If you like to listen to podcasts, check out Jon Heyman's very interesting take on this HERE. It definitely caught my attention.

"They may draw the line at that Bogaerts deal. From what I’m understanding, they thought that Bogaerts, at six years for $120 million, is a (comparison) for Didi. I think if push comes to shove, if they’re asked, they might feel that Didi isn’t quite as accomplished as Bogaerts and they would like to keep it a little bit below that if they could. But they may get to that point where they’re close or right there. They definitely don’t want to go over. If they go over, it will be an absolute victory for the agent. You never know with free agency and seeing how things would go. They certainly would give him the qualifying offer, which has impacted some people. Not sure if it would impact Didi. He’s a fantastic player. But I think that’s the line in the sand that they would draw, would be Bogaerts."

So is the Yankees limit really six years at $120 million? Didi is going to be 30 years old while Xander Bogaerts was 26 when he signed his deal. That is a big difference especially for a shortstop so this is why I am skeptical.

Lets continue to speculate, let's say Didi does reject the qualifying offer the Yankees will undoubtedly make him....is Didi really worth the same six years and $120 million? I think the years are going to be a big issue for the Yankees, not just the money. The Yankees have the ability to spend the money if they want to, but the years may not make sense here.

As much as I like Didi, I think his injury robbed a good amount of his potential earnings and he's not getting any younger. He's been worth every penny as Derek Jeter's replacement, but a 36 year old shortstop at an average of $20 million a season is a stretch especially when they know they already have other options.

The Yankees will likely consider that they still have Gleyber Torres who can play shortstop and he's only 22. If the Yankees are going to consider a $20 million mark, they could also look to throw that at DJ LeMahieu especially after the productive season he's had but without the long-term commitment. The Yankees could make a combination of LeMahieu and Torres work and save some money if they can't negotiate a deal to their liking.

But how can you discount Didi? He's become a fan favorite and let's face it his left handed bat and over 20 home runs a season are a valuable bat to have. The Yankees have one of the better shortstops in the game, and they know this. That's why I really think the Yankees will pay to get him back, I just don't know about matching Bogaert's price is realistic, or even smart from a business standpoint. There is a deal to be made here somewhere.

I love to speculate about baseball. Again, this is a stretch and Heyman only made a statement. There's no other source to it, it's just baseball gossip. The Yankees know where they want to go, it's just not time to talk about it yet. We have business to handle on the field first....but Didi will get figured out

in due time. The next few months will be interesting for sure.

How many years and how much money would you be willing to give Didi to keep him? Comment and tell us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

SEVY COULD BE MORE SENSATIONAL THAN EVER IN A DIFFERENT ROLE

Source: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports 

With the rosters increasing from 25 to 40 this weekend and baseball heading into the limelight of its season, it is likely that Luis Severino will not only be ready but impactful and more sensational than ever.

"Severino faced hitters Tuesday and could begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend. That doesn't leave him enough time to get stretched out to 100 pitches before the postseason, but even 60-70 pitches Severino is better than none," report CBS Sports in their piece entitled  "10 injured players who could impact playoff races with September returns, including Luis Severino and Tyler Glasnow."

Source: Elite Sports NY

Fans have been chomping at the bit to see the likes of Sevy back in action and their time is coming.  Sure he has been injured and that has put the rotation under much distress, but with injury comes intentional rehab, strength and conditioning and honing a pitcher's craft.  Oh yes and rest, to a muscle that obviously needed it, potentially making him stronger and more lethal to hitters than ever.

Source: NorthJersey.com

Adding to his potency is the speculation that Sevy could be a secret weapon out of the bullpen, giving the Yankees two incredible advantages: 1. he could impact the game while staying under a strict pitch limit and 2. they could preserve him even more for next season.

"Severino, coming back from a lat muscle injury, said he felt good after throwing 35 pitches over two innings against minor leaguers on Tuesday. The 25-year-old also took part in a simulated game last Thursday and is lined up to start a minor league game Sunday," reported the NY Post.  And 35 pitches might be the maximum he would have to pitch coming out of the bullpen or even as an opener.

Source: NY Post

Just so much to think about and again, having options is what has not only kept the Yankees in the pennant race but allow them to dominate it.  One more game on the West Coast and the Yankees head home to host Oakland this Labor Day weekend.  The future continues to be bright and now even brighter as Sevy makes his way back.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

I LIKE MIKE FORD ON THE ROAD, BABY!

Love this tweet from our guy Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record. It has to do with Mike Ford, and it is just a glimpse at a guy that is coming through when we needed him. Clutch baby. And you know Caldera... it's always about the nuggets! Take it away Caldera...

Ford focus: Now 8-for-14 on the road trip, 4 HRs after his second HR of the evening at Seattle.

— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) August 27, 2019

Now think about it. This is all about opportunity. He got it and he's performing!

Think about his last few years. This comes from Baseball-Reference.com:

-July 17, 2013: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent. 

-December 14, 2017: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners from the New York Yankees in the 2017 rule 5 draft. 

-March 24, 2018: Returned (earlier draft pick) by the Seattle Mariners to the New York Yankees.

Now the dude's on a tear and hitting dingers on the road. Love it!

THE GARDNER MACHINE JUST KEEPS ON GRINDING!

When Brett Gardner plays the game, he truly plays the game!

And that means no BS with the stupid bat at the roof of the dugout. Instead, keep grinding my brother, you're doing amazing and this is leadership!

Last night yet another win from the New York Yankees! A 5-4 win against the Mariners.  Nice work. Gleyber Torres hit his 33rd home run which is great, but let's focus on a great achievement from Gardy last night for a moment.

It comes from the YES research manager:

Brett Gardner with his 68th career triple which passes Red Rolfe for sole possession of 12th in franchise history.

— Jeff Quagliata (@yestoresearch) August 27, 2019

Nice work! What's even funnier is that after that triple, Phil Nevin tried to do that stupid bat bang thing... and Gardy didn't want any part of it.

Nevin wants to join the Gardy bang gang and Gardy denies him Lol pic.twitter.com/1pxUfuilIN

— Evan Daniel (@mrevandaniel) August 27, 2019

That made me laugh. By the way, stop with the phrase "bang gang". It's not flattering for this Yankees team.

Anyway, congrats on another Yankee win, but nice work Gardy! Keep grinding!

AARON BOONE IS "WAITING" FOR AN EXPLANATION WHILE WE WAIT FOR ROBOTS

And he is going to turn blue in the face waiting for the "good explanation" that he is still waiting for, read HERE. Someone needs to tell Aaron Boone to stop waiting. What answer could he possibly get that he would actually like?

There's only one, in my opinion and he is not going to get it. The only answer is "Well, we were wrong" about what happened on Saturday. He should of protested the game immediately. Now just waiting for an explanation is like waiting for pigs to fly. Or maybe a unicorn. It's pointless.

We've seen everything we need to see. Brett Gardner has been implicated in virtually every controversial play this season. His character has been called into question, read GARDNER IS DAMAGING HIS ONCE SOLID REPUTATION even though he's reacted in the same frustration as some of his peers read MAD AT GARDNER? YOU BETTER HAVE MORE NAMES ON YOUR LIST. It's crazy.

Look, I think Mike Axisa said it best....the play at second base in not in question here. The slide was clean AND he beat the throw to second base. There was no interference, if so the umpires could have ruled it a double play. Max Muncy deserves an Academy Award for his theatrics on Saturday night and he doesn't deny it. He knew Torres was likely to score. Good for you, Muncy....you picked up a hobby living so close to Hollywood and got some acting skills. You won that time.

But what really grinds my gears is the call made about the "time out" given while Gleyber Torres is CLEARLY already running home. What a convenient time to call a "time out," right? Torres was off the bag, he was a player in motion. The umpire shouldn't have called a time out.

So were the Yankees screwed out of a win? You can argue both sides but with Torres running to home he likely would've scored and that could've changed the game completely. Potentially, but ideally the Yankees should've gotten to a struggling Kenley Jansen.

This season has just been too frustrating to watch. Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to make changes to pitching clocks and trade deadlines....why not replacing umpires with robots at this point? It's bad already. Why not take more of the human element out of it to maybe make it more accurate? At this point, I am not opposed.

Just my opinion but the Yankees got screwed here. Maybe they weren't screwed out of a win, but they wee definitely screwed out of playing a fair game. They have also been screwed out of a lot of calls this season, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this one. This just sets a precedence that I shouldn't expect the Yankees to get a fair call for the rest of the season.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @nyprincessj

GLEYBER CALLS OUT UMP IN POST GAME INTERVIEW

Source: Associated Press

The West Coast series has been a trying collection of games for the Yankees.  After being swept by the Oakland A's earlier this week, and the beasting of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday's night game 10-2, the Yankees were on the losing end of a pitchers' 2-1 duel with an unbelievable series of events in the 9th inning.  It was this series of events that led not only to frustration, but the Yankees' youngest player calling out the umpires.

Gleyber Torres was trying to do some heads up base running after Brett Gardner slid hard into the second base to avoid being called out and preventing a double play which would have halted the Yankees rally in the 9th. "Torres was questioning why plate ump Gabe Morales called time out," reported the NJ.com. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the umpires today,” Torres said. “We can’t control that.”

MLB umpires have been under fire, seemingly a lot more this season than ever before, partly because of the challenge and replay functionality of the game.  This has given fans and even the media a reason to question the actual rules of the game and the latitude that umpires have in applying them.

"Morales called time out after Brett Gardner’s hard slide into second base knocked Max Muncy to the ground. Torres took off for home and crossed the plate but he was sent back to third base because Morales said he had called time out. Manager Aaron Boone said Morales told him Torres was sent back to third base because closer Kenley Jansen had called time out. But replays left the situation unclear. Jansen motioned to Morales, but it wasn’t clear whether he did it before Torres starting running home," reported NJ.com.

YES Network's Jack Curry reminded viewers that unlike players and managers who give post-game interviews and press conferences, umpires don't.  Maybe now that umpires have more of a voice in the game due to technology, it is time for MLB to require umpires to give post game interviews too.

"Gabe said he killed it," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. "Just looking back, Kenley held his hands up -- it looked to me Gleyber had already started down the line with a guy down on the field. Home plate umpire said he had killed it," reported CBS Sports.

"Can you call time when an outfielder hits the wall and prevent the runner from taking an extra base? No, because the play is still live. Even when pitchers are hit by dangerous come-backers, the play is played to completion," raised CBS Sports.  I tend to agree with that sentiment yet, regardless, the game ended with the Yankees coming up short.  This leaves us all with a bad taste in our mouths.

Source: New York Times

It certainly has been a month of umpire hell, if you will, for the Yankees and even our youngest player, who usually seems unfazed, is frustrated.  Let's hope the Yankees can put their heated emotions into winning tonight as they close out the series with Dodgers and head to Seattle, the last stretch of the West Coast series for the Bombers.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

INSTAGRAM: BYB'S NEW LIFE

Our Instagram experiment is working!

We came on the Instagram scene about a month and a half ago.  Facebook is just a place where people no longer read. And so, while Bleeding Yankee Blue will still be using Facebook, eventually we will be fazing it out.

In the meantime, with the help of Suzie Pinstripe, we will be expanding on Instagram.  And we are slowly building our audience.  If you like the Yankees, if you like baseball... if you like our amazing writers, please like BleednYankeeBlu on Instagram.  

Tell a friend, tell your mom... tell you're nerdy cousin that watches every single Yankee game. Tell them all to go to Instagram, look for us and like us.

Click and find us!

Happy Sunday everyone!

STOMP THE YARD!

The Yankees came into Dodgers territory and really owned the Dodgers last night, huh?  Gotta love the way this New York Yankees team is playing this season. My goodness it is amazing.  And once again, it doesn't matter who... every single night, someone new is contributing.  Last night in that hideous Black uniform, it was Didi Gregorius with a grand slam.  Love it!

The Los Angeles Times writes:

"No conversation was necessary. His head lowered in defeat, Hyun-Jin Ryu started to descend the mound before manager Dave Roberts reached him. 

The journey to the bench was unlike any Ryu had made at Dodger Stadium this season, with the packed house shocked into silence."

On paper, James Paxton should have lost that game. But not last night... last night the Yankees picked up Paxton.

More from the Times:

"The “savages,” as Yankees manager Aaron Boone refers to his hitters, can conquer their opposition a variety of ways. Ryu hadn’t given up more than a single home run in any of his home starts. The Yankees blasted two in the third inning. 

Aaron Judge was the first to punish him, depositing one of his trademark changeups into the left-field pavilion. Two batters later, Gary Sanchez sent a cutter over the same wall to double the Yankees’ lead to 2-0. 

Between the two home runs, Gleyber Torres worked a nine-pitch at-bat that ended in a strikeout. Torres’ approach was part of a concerted effort to fatigue Ryu. The left-hander’s pitch count was at 58 through three innings and 77 through four. That set the stage for Ryu’s fifth-inning collapse.

With the Yankees holding on to a 2-1 advantage, DJ LeMahieu and Judge started the inning with consecutive singles. Torres grounded out to short on a slow roller that permitted Judge and LeMahieu to advance to second and third base, respectively. 

Ryu intentionally walked Sanchez to load the bases, but the plan backfired spectacularly when Didi Gregorius redirected a down-the-middle fastball into the right-field stands. 

Game over."

Damn straight!

MIGUEL YAJURE IS COMING, FOLKS!

Miguel Yajure's Twitter

Quick note, just because I love when young Yankee prospects hit the scene.  There's a new guy that everyone is talking about.  His name is Miguel Yajure… and if you don't know him now... you will. At least that's what many are suggesting. You know what? That's exciting!

The New York Post has this:

"His 97-mph fastball is making him hard to ignore. 

'And the best pitcher in the organization right now might be Miguel Yajure in Tampa,' a high-ranking Yankees scout told NJ.com. As the 21-year-old standout on the Yankees’ High-A team in Tampa becomes Rule 5 Draft eligible this upcoming offseason, the front office is faced with the decision of whether to add the right-hander to the 40-man roster or risk another team swooping in and taking him for themselves. 

Tampa manager Aaron Holbert said that Yajure, who holds a 2.15 ERA and an 8-6 record over 21 appearances (17 starts), has been impressive this season after he 'showed some flashes of brilliance'..."

And for now, that's what we have.  To be honest, that's all I need. Pretty exciting and a great way to start off my Saturday!

DON'T WORRY, WE HAVE TREVOR ROSENTHAL

By the way… my 17 year old... HATES this idea.

Yea, I should have written this a few days ago when it happened, but to be honest, I wanted to hear what my now 17 year would say about it... only because he is so in tune with all these players and knows the ins and outs when it comes to their progression or... lack there of. Throw Trevor Rosenthal into the "lack there of" category when talking to my 17 year old.

First... the news. YES writes:

"The New York Yankees have added another arm to the minor league organization after signing veteran reliever Trevor Rosenthal to a minor league deal...The 29-year-old right-hander last played for the Detroit Tigers...An All-Star for the St. Louis Cardinals just four seasons ago, Rosenthal has struggled to regain his previous form after missing the entire 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

Over parts of seven seasons with three different clubs (Cardinals, Nationals, Tigers), Rosenthal owns a career ERA of 3.46 across 340 1/3 career innings. The Yankees will be hoping he can resemble the pitcher he was during the first six years of his career rather than the last one..."

Now my 17 year old:

"Rosenthal used to be a great pitcher, but he can't consistently reach the 90s which will in turn hurt him unless he can reinvent himself.  I personally think those days are over for him. Too bad too... because he used to have great stuff."

Photo of: Ty Hensley

Now, as we all know, you never say never with players who are following dreams.  2 Tommy John surgeries later, a guy like Ty Hensley is working his way through with the Unicorns and doing a wonderful job!

I am getting constant updates from Ty's mom Marci, as she knows I am not only a friend... but a fan!

And so look... we wish Trevor Rosenthal well.  He may end up being a minor league pitcher for the rest of his career, and that's OK. But I, much like my son aren't jazzed about Rosenthal.  But hey... who are we to judge... right?

Dreams can come true. If the Yankees can fix Trevor, if he can keep working hard... there could be a nice progression or reinvention... or something.