WHAT MICHAEL KING'S INJURY MEANS FOR THE YANKEES

The Yankees have been playing from their knees during these last two series since coming back from the All-Star Break. The first was a doubleheader with Houston, where they failed miserably. And they are in the midst of the second, against Baltimore, which has been a horrible showing for this Yankee team. To add salt to the Yankees' wounds, hitting them while they are down, Michael King suffered a season-ending, hard-to-watch pop in his elbow on Friday night. What does this injury and King's absence down the stretch mean for the Yankees? Here are my insights.

Source: New York Post

"Before the injury, the 27-year-old was having a breakout season and was a pivotal part on the back end of the Yankees bullpen, posting a 2.29 ERA and a career-high 66 strikeouts through 51 innings pitched. As the Yankees seek to continue rolling throughout the season, MLB’s upcoming trade deadline could be the time to find another relief pitcher. With King’s absence, the Yankees called up Clarke Schmidt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Schmidt had posted a 3.00 ERA in 24 innings in MLB this season," reported SI.com. 

Although many contemplated that the Yankees would go for another bat and outfielder to fill the gap for their non-performing peers, they are going to be forced to find two great arms to take the helm for King and the floundering Aroldis Chapman. Chapman simply cannot pitch and King will be unable.

Prior to last night's news that King would be sidelined for the rest of the season with a fractured elbow, Sports Illustrated predicted, "The Yankees are World Series contenders and are on pace to win 111 games, but King’s injury could impact New York’s position heading into the playoffs if he’s unable to pitch again this year." 

So who is available for the Yankees to pick up in a hurry, before the looming trade deadline in August? According to MLB Insider, "Reds right-hander Luis Castillo is the best starting pitcher available on the market, and certainly won’t come cheap. Regardless, the Yankees rotation has recently experienced some turbulence, and lost Luis Severino to the IL with a low grade lat strain. That’s why MLB insider Buster Olney believes Castillo should be the big move that they make ahead of the deadline." That could solve the starter issue but there is still the gaps in the bullpen. Sure the Yankees can try to plug that hole with current prospects but so far, that approach has been lackluster.

Are the Yankees in trouble? Yes, without a doubt. They have the rubber game in Baltimore and they have an upcoming short series with the Mets this week, in Citifield. King's injury coupled with Severino, Miguel Castro, Ron Marinaccio and very early on Chad Green, has put the Yankee in a very challenging position. Could Zach Britton be back? How about Deivi Garcia? These are still questions for the Yankees. Do the Yankees have another diamond in the rough out there? If so, I would like to know. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE YANKEES BLOW A BIG ONE ON FATHER'S DAY & IT'S NOT BOONE'S FAULT

Well, that sucked. No one expected the Yankees to blow a five run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but that's baseball. The Yankees win streak stopped at nine, but now it is time to start a new one today.

We all have our off days when we just aren't at our best and that was true for Luis Severino yesterday. He gave up two home runs, walked a season high four batters and gave up five runs but despite that the Yankees looked to be in full control.

Until they weren't. After Severino was pulled Miguel Castro and Wandy Peralta both came into the game and they didn't have their best stuff either....and it happens. The pitching wasn't the only downfall in the game. Sure, the Yankees scored nine runs and still lost and normally I would say it is easier to accept a loss when you score nine runs. I just tip my cap and say the other team played better and not dwell on it. I don't want to dwell on this one either but....the Yankees did have 13 strikeouts. This was a winnable game even with the ineffective pitching. If the Yankees had struck out less and also didn't leave 7 men on base the end result should be different.

The Yankees just didn't execute, so while it is easy to sit here and be a couch manager and blame Aaron Boone, I'm not going to do that. Hard to believe because I am not one to defend Boone ever and it would be easier to do if the Yankees weren't playing good baseball. As much as I don't trust Castro or Peralta and would rather see Michael King or Clay Holmes out there pitching every day, I know that can't happen. Everyone has to step up and do their job.

And not for nothing....the umpires made a couple of bad calls. Two obvious strikes were called balls and if the umpires would've called it correctly that would have ended the inning before the grand slam. But again "shoulda, coulda, woulda" is the theme of this game.

So the Yankees lost a game today after scoring 9 runs and it stings....but it happens. Thankfully, we won the series and are gained a game on them. 

Time to give 'em hell in Tampa.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

THIS MIGUEL CASTRO PITCH THAT WILL MAKE YOUR JAW DROP

I'm still in awe. It's shock and awe. Miguel Castro is some sort of magician. He's a wizard. He's something that just can't be explained right now. He's worthy of a science experiment and then let's CLONE him while we are at it.

If you didn't know, Castro was swapped for Joely Rodriguez in a trade with the Mets.

What I saw on Tuesday made me all tingly inside. It was something that I had to watch again, not once or even twice. Hell, I am STILL watching it. Did you get a good look at this?

THAT right there is a thing of beauty. It is just one reason why I give people a crazy look if someone tells me that "baseball is boring" or "watching players try and hit a ball is lame compared to football." That's straight nonsense and so was that pitch Castro threw!

The pitch itself is BEAUTIFUL but it makes no sense. Like, how is it possible and it needs it's own word. They are calling this a 99mph SINKER but this is no usual sinker. It has crazy movement, it moves more left to right and it looks like a freaking two-seam fastball or even a cutter. I see that and the last thing I think is sinker. Hell, call it the Castro pitch for all I care. It doesn't matter what this is called it's just plain FILTHY.

And Alejandro Kirk was just as stunned as I was. He tried to sell it as a walk but as quick as that looked like the ball was outside it ended up being damn near middle-middle. It's magic I tell ya. He may think it is the best pitch he's seen in his very young career. I think it's one of the best pitches I have ever seen, I can't stop watching it.

Can I just add a big THANK YOU to the Mets for trading him? I'm glad you guys added another lefty arm like you wanted and you decided to get rid of Castro. I hope I get to watch this all season long. This is just super human....it's some sort of witch craft and I love it!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

 

PITCHING IN THE BRONX IS STELLAR BUT NOT BECAUSE OF COLE

Source: N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

Gerrit Cole is the unofficial ace of this Yankee team. He has been since signing with the Bombers prior to the 2020 season. And although he seems to have found his groove, he is not the star of the pitching staff. Watching guys like Michael King and Nestor Cortes makes me feel like that Yankees have found themselves the gritty pitchers who can carry this team. Pitching in the Bronx is stellar this year but it is not because of Gerrit Cole.

"The Yankees’ offense has rightfully grabbed much of the spotlight during the seven-game winning streak they brought into Saturday’s game against the Royals, but they haven’t done it alone," wrote Dan Martin of the New York Post on Saturday evening. And he is right. The positive spotlight on the Yankees offense is completely warranted. It is about time actually. But I can't help but get giddy about Cortez and King. Their work flies under the radar for the most part, and maybe that is good because it enables them to just focus on their work, without the additional the contract stress that follows Cole.

Source: Yahoo Sports

“He’s competitive,’’ Boone said. “I love the way he competes. You can tell he really likes playing the game. There’s a fearlessness to the way he plays the game [and] a joy to the way he plays the game. He wants the ball,” said the Yankee Skipper. 

Michael King has been the other king of the pitching staff. He comes out there confidently and executes. No stress. No nonsense. Just baseball. And good baseball at that.

Source: Boston College Sports

His coach from Boston College, Mike Gambino, is not surprised at King's performance. “I always thought he would be a big league starter,” Gambino said, “and pitch in the big leagues for a long time. But nothing phases him. Ever. People used to mistake his smile and baby face and how nice he is for not being tough and competitive. But on the mound, he’s a killer. No one prepares like he does, and he loves pressure. So what he’s doing so far doesn’t surprise me at all,” reported Mike Lupica for MLB.com.

King entered Saturday night's game against the Royals with a 2-0 record and 20 strikeouts in his 13 innings. Lupica called the Yankee bullpen "the band" and King was just supposed to be a member of this band. "The Yankees' big band in the bullpen features the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Clay Holmes, Chad Green, Jonathan Loáisiga, Miguel Castro and Clarke Schmidt. King, so far, has been the best of them all."

Source: Jason Szenes, New York Post

Excited to continue to watch Cortez and King pitch like superstars this season. They have been nothing short of impressive and they take my mind off Cole who has not shown me his true worth since coming to the Yankees two years ago. Pitching in the Bronx is turning heads; and it is band members King and Cortez leading the way and enabling the Yankees to keep climbing the charts!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

THE YANKEES JUST GRABBED A RIGHTY!

Not major news but stocking arms is always good! The Yanks picked up a righty pitcher from the Tampa Bay Rays.

SNY writes:

"...the Bronx Bombers are acquiring David McKay from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations, according to multiple reports.

McKay, 27, was signed by the Rays to a minor league contract in March after spending his first two seasons with the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers. McKay spent 2021 in the minors.

In three appearances this spring, the right hander pitched 3.2 innings and gave up three earned runs and six hits while striking out three."

Just a few days before the Yankees got Miguel Castro from the Mets for Joely Rodriguez in a swap, so they are clearly making moves to try and better themselves.

Nice job.

TULOWITZKI TRADED. YANKS STAY. IT MAKES SENSE.

Well, Troy Tulowitzki was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and it might be the strangest move I've seen in a long, long time. Not only because the Jays swooped in and got Tulo and the Yankees didn't, but for the personnel attached.   It's very strange to me.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the trade indeed happened:

BREAKING: Tulo traded to #BlueJays.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2015

And yes, I love the BREAKING on the tweet... so dramatic Kenny.

Here's trade info:

The Blue Jays get Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins.  The Rockies get Jose Reyes and minor leaguers, one being righty pitcher and prospect Miguel Castro and the other is righty pitcher Jeff Hoffman.

And here's why I don't get it.  The Rockies essentially got nothing out of this except for a few prospects that are guesses at this point and more years of rebuilding and trying to become a contender.  The Blue Jays I assume were concerned about the Yankees making a blockbuster deal for Tulo or some top starting pitching and now the Jays will attempt to try and take the AL East with Troy Tulowitzki.

There is no question though that the Yankees are not willing to give up Judge, Severino and Bird, and you and I both know that's what Rockies wanted for Tulo.  That's why nothing happened with the Yankees... bottom line.   If you are pissed the Jays got Tulo, don't be.  Cashman has another plan... plus he preserved our youth.  Applaud that.

And finally...here's the biggest question.... LaTroy Hawkins is still playing????

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!