In a heat-domed Scranton, Jasson Dominguez - aka "The Martian" - went 2 for 4 with a triple and a run. On the season - that's 47 games on three minor league levels levels - the 21-year-old OF is hitting .315 with 8 HRs and 14 SB. For the last five years, he has been the Yankees' most hyped prospect, the most publicized future star since - well - Jesus Montero, aka "The Ice Cream Sandwich."
Meanwhile, at Double A Somerset, 35-year-old Anthony Rizzo went 2 for 2 with a HR and an RBI. He's now 2 for 6 - hitting .333 - in a rehab assignment, following his second straight season of underachievement and breakability. He's been down so long that 2022, when he hit 32 HRs for the Yankees, seems like a dream.
At the MLB level, the Yankees last night served up Alex Verdugo and DJ LeMahieu, batting 8th and 9th respectively, in LF and 1B. Both went 1 for 4 and saw slight increases in their meager BAs. In the 9th, Verdugo singled to keep hopes alive. LeMahieu followed with a pop fly, crushing them.
On the season, Verdugo is hitting .223. LeMahieu boosted his average to the magical .200. Both are miles below their career numbers.
Listen: Nobody talks about the jailbreak... until the jailbreak.
Until it happens, the Yankees won't discuss benching either Verdugo or LeMahieu. But MLB rosters expand Sept. 1, and - holy shit, summer's over! That's this weekend.
If a change does come, it will accompany massive happy talk and dollops of praise, as the YES machine attempts to mask two brutal realities:
Both Verdugo and LeMahieu are facing existential career crises.
Verdugo is on the verge of being cut by his third MLB team - the Dodgers, Redsocks and now Yankees. His next stop, free agency, will likely plant him with a minor market somewhere in the Heartland, where everybody watches football, on a one-year deal to try and redeem his lost luster. You don't get many more chances, especially on baseball's largest stages.
At 36, LeMahieu seems to have simply run out of gas. The Yankees will pay him exorbitantly for two more years. But unless he starts hitting, his fine career is on borrowed time. You see it on his face in every at bat.
Tonight, the Yankees play the Nats in the rubber match of a three game set, while Baltimore battles the Dodgers. The Yankees cannot afford to lose ground, while playing one of MLB's worst teams.
Whatever happens, either the Yankees start getting production from the bottom or their batting order, or changes are coming.
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18 comments:
This whole scenario and reality rests on the decisions of Brian Cashman.
Gulp.
When Sept. 1 happens, we know one of the players being called up...
But what if September 1 never happens. What happens if we remain stuck in August for all eternity?
Boone and his asinine righty/lefty bullshit. Trevino has to catch Cole, but why? Nobody knows. And Trevino showed how terrible his defense has become in two incredibly bad plays (maybe more, those were just the ones I saw last night).
The idea of a starting lineup that stays consistent from game to game, with the best players we have, is an alien notion to this organization. Wells should play every game except when he legitimately needs a rest. Cabrera should play every game. Verdugo should not. DJ should not. His defense has sadly become as bad as his offense.
I've always liked Rizzo but was thinking he may be finished. Maybe not. If he can be anywhere close to the player he was a couple years ago, we'd be in better shape.
I don't think it's a matter of whether or not we have the guys to win. It's more a matter of allowing those guys to play every day, and sitting the guys who can't contribute. That's on management, on the field and, I assume, in the front office.
It's not Boone, it's the analytics...the team is still married to them...
Perhaps it is the fetid stench of optimism that has been wafting through some of these comments lately. Don’t poke the bear…or the juju gods. They are watching, always watching…
I think Boone is a fine example of artificial intelligence. He gets so much wrong.
Judge is going to rack up an incredible HR total over eternity.
2B Caleb Durbin 3-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 R
CF Jasson Domínguez 2-5, 1 3B, 1 R
SS Oswald Peraza 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB
Ron Marinaccio 1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB (save)
And in AA:
1B Anthony Rizzo 2-2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R — his first hit in this rehab stint leaves the park
CF Spencer Jones 3-4, 1 3B, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Ian Hamilton 1.1 IP, 0 R, 3 K (win)
Said Boone: “We didn’t play our best tonight. Tough one.”
You didn't put our best team on the field. Not so tough.
Gonna be a busy month. The only guy we don't need is Berti, but we'll see how Cashman fucks up the roster in a week or two.
RHP Luis Gil (lower back strain)
Expected return: Sept. 4
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Ian Hamilton (right lat strain)
Expected return: September
INF Jon Berti (left calf strain)
Expected return: September
1B Anthony Rizzo (right forearm fracture)
Expected return: September
RHP Clarke Schmidt (right lat strain)
Expected return: September
RHP Lou Trivino (recovery from Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: September
RHP Cody Poteet (right triceps strain)
Expected return: September
Oh, I expect they will play DJ LeMahieu, Vertigo, Berti, Torres, Stanton, and Rizzo too when he gets back. These guys will play, whilst better players sit on the bench. If they do make the playoffs, it'll be by a hair or two. And then they'll implode in the playoffs, first round knockout. Because it's the Yankee way. Been going on now for many years now. No reason to expect anything to change.
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I liked Rizzo, but the last year of him has been horrible. Not his fault he got run into TWICE, but it did affect him.
Hopefully, the time off let him defog his head. Would certainly be helpful to have him back to at least his average season.
✅
Thanks, I'm shamelessly stealing it.
It would be good if the franchise gave DJ a dignified farewell at the end of the season. He had a fine career and deserves it. Unfortunately, ownership is a bunch of class-less, imbecilic greedy cunts who don't even understand that celebrating Dj's departure/retirement would sell additional merch and seats.
Fuck them all.
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