Yankees Tie As Judge Makes The Final Decision

Aaron Judge cuts an imposing figure.

The Yankees opened their 2015 Grapefruit League schedule Tuesday, in Clearwater, FL, against the Philadelphia Phillies with a 5-5 tie. The game was called after nine innings, which is not unusual during Spring Training.

Highly touted pitching prospect Luis Severino tossed 1.1 innings and Adam Warren threw two scoreless innings as he battles for a spot in the rotation. But it was Aaron Judge everyone was talking about afterwards.

Judge, a first round draft pick (32nd overall) by the Yankees in 2013, hit a three-run home run in the top of the 9th inning as the Yankees rallied from a four run deficit to tie the game at five apiece.

The 6'7", 230 lb outfielder split 131 games between Single-A Charleston (SAL) and Advanced-A Tampa (FSL) last year. In his first year of professional ball, the right fielder hit 17 home runs and drove in 79 runs. He produced a slash line of .333/.428/.530 for the RiverDogs before his promotion to Tampa. There he put up a slash line of .283/.411/.442. Though Judge struck out 131 times in 467 at-bats, he also walked 89 times and stroked 24 doubles.

It's only one game, but it's the first game and Judge make a quick, positive expression Tuesday.


Severino didn't fare as well. The Yankees top prospect gave up two runs on four hits. The Yankees had 13 hits, led by Slade Heathcott and Greg Bird with two apiece. Future second basemen Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyder both committed errors in the game.

Nova Sidelined With Torn UCL

The Yankees were counting on Ivan Nova to be a strength in their 2014 starting rotation, based on his effectiveness in the latter half of last year. But so far, the results have not been good in 2014, and things got a whole lot worse on Saturday.

Nova complained of pain in his right elbow as the Tampa Bay Rays blasted him en route to a 16-1 win. The worst news was yet to come. A short time ago it was announced that Nova has a partially torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL).  Actually that may not be the worst news, that could still be to come.

Nova will be re-evaluated, his MRI, X-Rays and whatever else will be double- and triple-checked. The bottom line is that Nova could be headed towards Tommy John surgery. In fact, he probably should just go ahead and have it done since if they go the rehab/rest route, he'll probably eventually need it anyway.

In the meantime, David Phelps, Adam Warren, and Vidal Nuno are all candidates to replace Nova in the rotation. Nuno is scheduled to start Sunday's finale with Tampa Bay so that Masahiro Tanaka does not have to pitch on three days rest.

The Yankees have Al Aceves working as a starter at Triple-A Scranton, but he's thrown just one game so far. Among the unsigned free agents still out there are former Yankee and Pirate, Jeff Karstens. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last June, but was feeling good this Spring. He threw for some teams during Spring Training, but did not get a deal.

Barry Zito, who went from Cy Young to Cy Disaster took some time off, but isn't retiring. And is not the answer. Do you hear me Brian Cashman?

Yankees First Half Report Card: The Bullpen

Valedictorian of his class.

The Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are in the midst of the rubber game of a three game series Sunday night to kick off the post All-Star break portion of the season. Remarkably, this is the first time that the Yankees have visited Fenway Park this season.  It's also the first time in a long time that neither Derek Jeter nor Alex Rodriguez have been in the Yankees lineup for a game against the old town team.

Both starters were roughed up, especially the Yankees CC Sabathia, who saw a 3-0 lead go bye bye. So what better night is there to post the first half grades for the Yankees bullpen.

(Note - statistics are as of the All-Star break)

Mariano Rivera - I might as well start right at the top. There's no reason to go into a lot of detail here; it's been talked about, written about, gifts, videos, the greatest retirement tour ever. Mariano is human, believe or not, as evidenced by the two blown saves in 32 chances. Has anyone ever had a quieter 30 saves, even with the hoopla surrounding his retirement tour? And 30 saves by a 43-year old at the All-Star break? 

It's hard to believe, but just how outstanding he has been seems to have been a bit overlooked by the media. "He's the same old Mariano" doesn't quite cut it.

Grade: A+

David Robertson - DRob's off the field endeavors (High Socks for Hope) get a bit lost among the stars in the Yankees clubhouse, and his on the field performance tend to as well. While he may never be the Yankees regular closer, he's one helluva set up man.

Robertson was selected to the AL All-Star game two years ago when he finished 4-0, 1.08 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, and 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. After scuffling at times last year (still averaged 12 K's per nine IP) with his performance and health, DRob has improved on some areas of his 2011 performance. He's still averages 12 K's per nine IP and has put up a WHIP under 1.0 in 41 relief appearances.

Grade: A

Joba Chamberlain - Has there been a Yankees relief pitcher in recent history that has created more headaches than Joba Chamberlain? I'm not going to go in summarizing the rise and fall of Joba, but we know that some past issues are due to injuries, the"Joba Rules" and other nonsense the Yankees front office created.

But just like someone who has a bad beginning in life, sometimes you have to pull yourself up by your cleat laces and get things done. Such is not the case with Joba, who comes off very down to earth one minute and then undeservedly arrogant the next. He has not been the type of pitcher that has earned the level of respect he believes he has coming to him.

Is there any situation in a game that you trust Joba in at this point?  He allows inherited runners to score, he lets the opponents lead get bigger, and the Yankees lead get smaller. It's time for Joba to try to find success somewhere else.

Grade: F

Boone Logan - The tall left-hander is a bit of enigma, he looks incredibly solid one second (strikes out Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau with the bases loaded) and very ordinary the next. Joe Girardi has been very careful with not overworking his bullpen like his predecessor Joe Torre did, but Logan is the exception. He appeared in 64 games in 2011 and 80 last year, and that's not counting how many times he got warmed up and didn't enter the game.

It was no surprise that he reported to camp with a cranky elbow this year. It carried over to the start of the season with a shaky April, but Logan bounced back strong in May. In fact, he struck out 25 batters and walked just two in 15.1 innings over May and June combined. In July, opponents have just a .111 Batting Average on balls in play (BAbip). All that said, I still have difficulty trusting him in big spots...or small ones.

Grade: B

Shawn Kelley - Was a surprise pick up this past off-season. With the Mariners trying to improve you would think they would have held on to Kelley, who made only $600K last year and had a solid season. On top of that they dealt him to the Yankees for Abe Almonte, a non-prospect.

Kelley has been a strikeout machine in pinstripes with an average of 13.2 per 9 innings. He quickly gained Girardi’s trust and has become invaluable in high leverage situations. If David Robertson gets the closer's role next season, Kelley is the likely replacement as the 8th inning guy. Then again, he could fill the closer role instead of Robertson.

Grade: B+

Preston Claiborne - The 25-year old came out of nowhere to be an integral part of the bullpen early on. The bloom has come off the rose a bit over the last month, but it doesn't take away what Claiborne did in May and the first half of June. Namely, he gave up just one run in 15 appearances.

For now Claiborne will likely be doing mop up and non-crucial work until if and when he gets back on track.

Grade: B- (very close to being a C+)

Adam Warren - I have to admit I never saw this one coming. Warren looked horrible in his debut last year and looked like he was the target in a game of whack-a-mole in spring training. But since the regular season began it has been Warren doing the whacking of opponents in the long man role.

Warren has amassed 43.2 innings in 16 appearances, half of which he has finished, and has compiled a nearly 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio. It's doubtful he'll be a starter again (if he remains in the organization), but he can certainly fill a valuable role in the bullpen.

Grade: A-

Youkilis Sidelined Again

Brian Cashman knew it was a gamble, albeit a low risk one, when he signed Kevin Youkilis to a one-year, $12MM contract. Youkilis has been injury prone the last few years with his back in particular a cause for concern.

That concern has manifested itself into a second stint on the 15-day DL. Youkilis missed all but one game in May the first time his back acted up. 

Outfielder Thomas Neal had already been called up with the demotion of David Adams. Unless another move is made Jayson Nix will get the bulk of the time at third base with Reid Brignac starting at shortstop. Perhaps Ronnier Mustelier join the Yankees as well.

Pitcher Chris Bootcheck has also been recalled with Adam Warren sent to the minors after he threw six innings in Thursday's 18 inning marathon. The right-hander was a first round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2000 and hasn't been in the Major Leagues since a 13 game stretch with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009.

The Yankees are Bootcheck's fifth organization, not counting the year he spent Yokohama in the Japanese League. Still just 24-years old, Bootcheck was 5-2, 3.32, 1.283 in 11 starts for the Scranton RailRiders prior to his call up. He'll take over Warren's long man role for the time being.

UPDATE: 11 pm 6/14 - With the injury to Youkilis, the Yankees held on to Adams rather than send him to Scranton. The rookie was in Friday night's lineup, but at his natural second base position with Robinson Cano in the DH slot.

Youkilis didn't feel his pain in his back after Thursday's 18 inning marathon, but felt a combination of tingling and numbness in his right foot. When the sensation didn't go away, Youkilis knew something was wrong.

Talk about knowing some thing is wrong....how did Joe Girardi not realize playing Youkilis and his bad back for 18 innings was the wrong thing to do?  Bad job by the Yankees skipper.

The Kids Are Hot Tonight: Nuno, Warren Earn Split

When you've got Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Kevin Youkilis missing from your everyday lineup, people need to step up their game. It's not just the seasoned veterans, but the youngsters as well. Pitchers Vidal Nuno and Adam Warren did just that Monday afternoon to lead the Yankees to a 7-0 win and a split of a "true" doubleheader with Cleveland Indians.

Another youngster, David Phelps, was outstanding in Game 1,but lost 1-0 to Justin Masteron. A Jason Kipnis first inning home run was the only damage done to the Yankees pitching. Nuno and Warren topped that performance by combining on a shutout that gave Nuno his first Major League win and Warren his first Major League save.

Nuno was outstanding in Spring Training and there was talk that he could make the team as a lefty reliever out of the bullpen. Having not pitched above Double-A, the Yankees felt it was better to have Nuno start every fifth day at Triple-A Scranton. Last month I spoke with Scranton RailRiders beat writer Donnie Collins who had this to say about Nuno: "He started tonight. I think he's a starter. Doesn't have great reliever splits."

Nuno threw 14.2 innings in the exhibition season and allowed just one earned run, 12 hits and four walks, while he struck out 13. He had made four starts for Scranton this season and was equally good. 23.1 innings pitched,  four earned runs, 13 hits, two walks, and 26 strikeouts. That translated to a 1.54 ERA, a league batting average of .157 against him, and a 0.64 WHIP.

The California native threw five innings in frigid Cleveland today and left with a 1-0 lead. He allowed three hits, three walks, and struck out three. Warren came on in the 6th and continued his impressive first month-plus in the big leagues. In a post last week I talked about how he has turned a lot of heads, including my own, after being so solid in the wake of a horrible Spring Training and a poor showing when he got called up for a cup of coffee last year.

Warren's allowed three runs in 18.2 innings, 14 hits, six walks, and has struck out 15. Today's outing lowered his ERA to 1.45 and his WHIP to 1.07. It was his third appearance of three innings or more innings as he continues to give the bullpen a break.

Nuno and Warren had to be spot on due to the Yankees lack of offense. After being shut out in the opener the Yankees managed to score just a single run (on Vernon Wells' RBI ground out) through the first six innings. Then the kiddie corps got it going again in the 7th inning. Corban Joseph, called up only because teams can add a 26th player for a doubleheader, reached on a lead off double. It was Joseph's first Major League hit. Austin Romine followed with a double of his own off start Trevor Bauer to pick up his first Major League RBI. You catching the theme here?

Jayson Nix, Wells, and Lyle Overbay each contributed RBI hits against to break things open against the Indians pen.

It was an especially big win after the Yankees had their four game winning streak snapped in the first game and with the prospect of having to face Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Notes

Wells is 10-26 (.385) over his last seven games with 3 HR and 9 RBI.

Warren Warrants Attention

Warren's performance in 2013 has given him something to smile about.

I'll be the first to admit I did not see what all the hype was about when Adam Warren pitched for the Yankees at the end of last season and in Spring Training this year. He was shelled by whatever teams he faced. And Yankees top pitching prospects haven't exactly panned out lately or moved along as quickly as we were told they would. (In fairness, it's much harder to predict a pitcher's progress than a hitter's progress.)

On a team beset by injuries and doing whatever it takes to win, Warren has stepped up. Thursday afternoon in Colorado he picked up his first Major League win after a long rain delay deprived starter CC Sabathia from continuing in the game.

Warren has never been ranked in Baseball America's top 100 prospects or MLB's top 50 prospects, but the Yankees organization has been very high on him since his performances at Single-A Tampa (2.22 ERA, 1.099 WHIP) and Double-A Trenton (3.15, 1.196) in 2010. A fourth round selection out of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2009, Warren got a call to the bigs last year and made one forgettable start in Major League debut.

Pitching in front of his home crowd, Warren got hammered by the Chicago White Sox to the tune of six earned runs and eight hits, including two home runs, in just 2.1 innings pitched. He got saddled in what turned out to be a 14-7 loss. Some pitchers never bounce back from that and others never get a chance to return to the Major Leagues (it was Warren's only Major League appearance in 2012.)

Warren's ascent to the Majors this year could not have been predicted after he allowed 16 earned runs, 24 hits and 10 walks in 17.2 innings pitched in Spring Training. In fact I thought he would be designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for last minute additions like Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay. But Warren headed north with the big ball club as the long man out of the pen, and he has made the most of his opportunity.

In Thursday's game with the Rockies, Warren entered the 5th inning after a nearly two hour rain delay with the task of holding a 2-1 lead until the Yankees could get to set up man David Robertson and closer Mariano Rivera. He needed just seven pitches, only one a fastball, to set the side down in order. The 6th inning was a little trickier; it took Warren more pitches just to retire the lead off hitter Adam Ottavino.

Warren needed just two pitches, a 79-mph curveball and a 92-mph cutter to get Eric Young Jr. to ground out for the second out of the inning. Things got tougher after that when Warren had to face Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki. Relying on his 90-92-mph fastball, Warren walked both hitters and was sent to the showers by manager Joe Girardi. Boone Logan stranded the runners and the Yankees went on for a 3-1 victory, the first win of Warren's Major League career.

Though it may have "only" been five outs, Warren did what the Yankees needed him to do, much like he has all year. In six appearances, Warren has limited the opposition to three runs (1.84 ERA) and 12 hits in 14.2 innings pitched. He still needs to work on his control, the six walks he has issued is three or four too many, but the 25-year old has done what has been asked of him. Keep your team in the game or mop up and save the bullpen for another day is his unwritten mission statement.

No games exemplified Warren's contribution more than the 5.1 innings of one run ball he tossed against Boston in the second game of the season (a 7-4 Yankees loss), three scoreless innings in the team's 2-0 loss to the A's last Friday, and yesterday's "get some outs" assignment. Though he may never make it as a starter in the league, Warren has certainly found his niche.

Notes

CC Sabathia was pitching beautifully - one run and one hit allowed in four innings pitched until the skies opened up for a one hour and 59 minute rain delay. It was one of Sabathia's most efficient performances this season - only 51 pitches thrown, 37 of them for strikes.

Robinson Cano picked up his 1,500th hit in the game on an infield single and later hit his 9th home run to give the Yankees an insurance run. Trainer Steve Donahue marked the milestone baseball and then, at Girardi's behest, marked up another ball with an undisclosed inscription on it. Cano got a good laugh from whatever was written as Girardi, Donahue, and his teammates looked on.

DLs, DFA's, and Recalls

The Yankees finally made it official today, placing Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Phil Hughes on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 15.

Hughes will be the first to come off the list if things go as planned and will make his first start on April 7. Who's next to re-join the team remains up in the air, depending on whether Jeter's ankle or Granderson's arm heal first.

The Yankees also added Adam Warren to the 25-man roster as a long man/mop up guy out of the pen. With the need for a spot on the 40-man roster, lefty specialist Clay Rapada was designated for assignment. It's likely Rapada will pass through waivers since he didn't pitch in any of the exhibition and should be brought back with a minor league contract.

Nova Looks Good in Weekend Sweep

The New York Yankees entered the weekend with just one win so far in the 2013 Grapefruit League. There hasn't been too much worry (this isn't your father's Steinbrenner) about though. Losses have mainly due to poor fielding, pitching, and lack of hitting by the Yankees' youngsters that have no chance of making the 25 man roster when the team departs Florida at the end of the month.

Ivan Nova is one of the youngsters that is an exception to the rule. A 16-game winner in his rookie season in 2011, Nova struggled with his command, some physical issues, and his confidence last season. The result was  a 12 win season, but an ERA over 5.00 and no spot on the post-season roster.

It didn't start out that way; Nova finished the first half 10-3, 3.92 in 17 starts. In the second half, Nova was the polar opposite and finished 2-5, 7.05 in 11 starts. After he allowed 13 home runs in 165.1 innings pitched in 2011, he allowed 28 home runs in just five more innings pitched a year later. Though his strikeouts went from 5.3 per nine innings in 2011 to 8.1 last season, it was clear that Nova was not placing the ball where he wanted to.

Nova's clean slate for 2013 began on Saturday when he  tossed a pair of scoreless innings in the Yankees 10-3 win over the Tigers. He allowed one hit and struck out one in his Spring Training debut. He threw 27 pitches.

Meredith Marakovitz spoke with Nova about his performance.



The Yankees won their second straight on Sunday, 5-1 over Boston in their first spring meeting with the Red Sox. Adam Warren was solid in three innings of work, with the only blemish a Mike Napoli home run. 23-year old Jose Ramirez followed with three scoreless innings and picked up the win.

Among the offensive highlights was a solo home run by Thomas Neal.

Injury Update

Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera both threw simulated games on Sunday. Rivera threw 21 pitches while Pettitte worked two innings and threw 34 pitches.

Lefty reliever Boone Logan has been shut down for a few days to rest his achy elbow. An MRI only showed some inflammation and Logan is hopeful that he'll be able to get back at it this week.

Starter Phil Hughes' back is feeling better and made 25 tosses from 60 feet on Sunday.

Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was, thankfully, not injured when involved in a car accident on Saturday. Ichiro was on his way home from Saturday's game when his Land Rover was struck by another car attempting to make a left turn across traffic. The other driver was cited for failure to yield.

Granderson Leaves Game After HBP

Getting hit on the wrist will wipe the smile of off Grandy's face

Curtis Granderson is trying to get used to playing left field in a switch with Brett Gardner. He's also trying to bounce back from a season in which he struck out a team record 195 times.

So Granderson didn't need to get hit on the right wrist today in his first spring training at-bat. That's what happened though on a delivery from Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.

Granderson went down to first base, but immediately left the game to get x-rays taken. The Yankees can't afford to lose another big bat for any length of time.

Yankees starter Adam Warren hit Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays to start the top of the second, but it was much less painful. Still, kudos to Warren.

Hughes and Kuroda Gain Split With Chisox

The Yankees couldn't have much uglier losses than they did Thursday and Friday nights, but thanks to Saturday's starter Hiroki Kuroda and Sunday's mound man Phil Hughes, the Yankees ended up with a split of their four game series with the White Sox.

Thursday's bullpen meltdown loss was forgotten in Friday's embarrassing 14-7 final. Rookie Adam Warren, outside of the 1st inning, was clearly overmatched. As YES analyst Lou Piniella pointed out, Warren's delivery was smooth and without deception. That allowed the White Sox hitters to easily pick up the baseball and mash it.

Unfortunately, Warren was sent down after the game and didn't get a chance to watch Kuroda on Saturday. The veteran put on a pitching clinic; Kuroda limited the White Sox to three hits and a walk over seven innings, and struck out 11 in the Yankees 4-0 win. He threw 107 pitches, 68 for strikes, and K'ed Alex Rios to strand the bases loaded in the 1st inning.

That was the start of 15 batters in row that Kuroda retired before he hit Kevin Youkilis in the 6th, perhaps in retaliation for White Sox starter Jake Peavy hitting Derek Jeter in the prior inning. The win improved Kuroda's record to 8-7, 3.17 as the right-hander has allowed just nine earned runs in his last 49 innings. After a rough start to the season, Kuroda is 5-1, 1.65 over his last seven starts.

Phil Hughes' start on Sunday didn't look to promising when the Yankees fell behind 2-0 in the 1st, but Hughes was fantastic after that in front of an Old Timers' Day crowd. He was at his best from the 4th through 8th innings when he retired 15 of 16 batters.

Hughes scattered six hits, walked one, and struck out eight in a 106 pitch effort. He's now 9-6, 4.29 and 5-1, 2.59 in his last six starts. Outside of his debacle against the Braves on 6/20 (4.1 IP, 6 ER), Hughes has allowed six earned runs in 37.1 innings pitched.

Home Run Derby continued in the Bronx to help both starters out. Robinson Cano, who hit 11 home runs in June, hit one on the month's final day and added another on the 1st of July. Curtis Granderson and Dewayne Wise added home runs for Kuroda, and Eric Chavez, who only had two home runs last year, hit his sixth of the year on Sunday.

Yankees Draft Recap - Lucky 7

We've told you about Zachary "Slade" Heathcott, very cool name by the way. Here is a little about the Yankees next 6 picks.

76. John Murphy R/R Catcher - The Pendleton School, Bradenton, FL

Baseball America -Scouts were split this spring on whether or not Murphy can stick behind the plate. If he can’t, Murphy can play outfield and has some upside in the bat.

135. Adam Warren R/R RHP - UNC

Baseball America - North Carolina righthander Adam Warren to the Yankees. Warren pumps his fastball up to 93 mph regularly, sits average with it and his slider and has solid-average command of both pitches.

165. Caleb Cotham R/R RHP - Vanderbilt

Baseball America - Tough sign alert—Vanderbilt eligible sophomore righthander Caleb Cotham went to the Yankees near the end of the fifth. Cotham made some money with a complete game effort in the Louisville regional. At his best, he’s a power sinker-slider pitcher, with his slider reaching 87 mph in shorter outings.

195. Robert Lyerly S 3B - UNC-Charlotte

Transferred from Campbell U after frosh season.
Enquirer Journal (registration req'd) - Lyerly led the 49ers with a .401 batting average, 18 doubles, .725 slugging percentage, .493 on-base percentage. He also had 12 home runs and 49 RBI, ranking second on the team in both categories.

Lyerly also finished off the season with a career-high 25-game hit streak.

225. Sean Black R/R RHP - Seton Hall U.

Baseball America - Sean Black was a second-round pick out of high school in 2006, but he turned down an over-slot bonus offer from the Nationals to go to Seton Hall. He was the highest-drafted player who didn’t sign that year, and you have to question the wisdom of that decision now, at least from a financial perspective (though certainly there is inherent value in the college experience). Just about as expected, Black slipped to the seventh round this year, going No. 225 overall to the Yankees. He won’t get nearly the offer he turned down three years ago.

255. Samuel Elam L/L LHP - Notre Dame

Was chosen by Baseball America as their top Big East draft prospect for the 2008 draft (ranking prior to '07). Hard thrower with control problems.

285. Gavin Brooks L/L LHP - UCLA

A teammate of the Yankees #1 pick last year, Gerrit Cole. Averaged 8 strikeouts per 9 innings in his first two years in college. Way too many walks though.
The College Baseball Blog - Has struggled some in college primarily due to a torn rotator cuff he suffered in high school.

More later