Gil, gone? Stroman, stay? And other primal questions across the Yankiverse.

Not sure I've ever felt "shoulder tightness." Generally, my shoulders feel like interlocked Leggos baked together on an Arizona driveway. At times, it's all they can do to raise a pint glass to the magical height that lets gravity work its magic. At that point, I often experience "brain tightness." 

So... Luis Gil has shoulder tightness. 

This is bad. This is really bad.

Yesterday, the Death Barge shut down Gil. Today, he'll get an MRI. They're saying nothing more, because  - why bother? - nobody believes a word anyway. And everybody knows the implications: Gil - 26 and the reigning Rookie of the Year - was supposed to be a bulwark of the rotation. You don't want your youngest starter to be having an MRI. This is a potential Cat-5. 

So... across the Yankiverse today, the name "Marcus Stroman" is going viral. That's because Stroman - assigned by Dean Wormer to Double-Secret Probation - is back to being our 5th starter. For the last six weeks, Cooperstown Cashman has shopped Stroman like a plate of bad liver, seeking to shred the $18 million contract that the Yankees lavished on him last year. Frankly, it's a wonder that two days ago, Cash didn't trade Stroman for some thirtysomething lug nut who peaked in 2019. He held on. I wonder what he knew...

Not much more to say about Gil and Stroman. But if anybody thought the Yankees, heading into spring training, had too many starters, they haven't watched this franchise very long. And if you think Gil will be the only starter to go down in March - Rodon? Schmidt? Cole? Fried? - you know nothing about reverse negative juju - of which the 1st Law states: Never predict anything positive about your team.  

Other matters from yesterday...

Cody Bellinger homered. Great. In 2023 he won Comeback Player of the Year. Is it realistic - or right - to hope that he wins another Comeback award? And what does it say that we'd have that conversation?

Also, as much as I like the guy, I cannot shake the fact that the Yankees obtained Bellinger in a straight up deal for Cody Poteet. Yeah, there was cash. But it was Cody for Cody.

Paul Goldschmidt is listed in yesterday's box score as "Goldschm..." WTF? They add a three dot ellipsis rather than finish his name? That ain't right. 

Jasson Dominguez didn't play yesterday. I wonder if somebody took him to a secret field and hit him 1,000 flies? More likely, he had the day off and went bowling. 

Since being allowed to grow meaningless beards, the Yankees are 3-3 in meaningless games.