After saving a crucial American League East series against the Toronto Blue Jays from a sweep in extra innings on Sunday, the Yankees will stay in their division and on the road. They head to Baltimore to face the Orioles, a team that is coming off a series win against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, but also a dominant showing. The O’s won the first two games by just one run each, but then pounded new Rays starter Freddy Peralta in the third game, including a seven-run sixth inning to put them
into the third AL Wild Card spot.
The Yankees have different motivations coming out of the series. Their goal is not just to fend off the Boston Red Sox, who are below them in the standings, but also to try to catch the Rays for first place in the division. And in their second-to-last meeting with Baltimore (the last at Camden Yards this season), every pitch will matter.
Tuesday: Carlos Rodón vs. Shane Baz (6:35 pm Eastern)
The beginning of the series marks the first appearance for Carlos Rodón following his stint on the 15-day injured list. His last outing came against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 28th. In 5.0 IP, Rodón gave up just one hit and two runs (both unearned) along with four walks, but he registered six strikeouts on 96 pitches. In his four previous starts, he pitched at least five innings and recorded at least seven strikeouts, but he also allowed three runs in three of them. The Yankees need him to return to form through the rest of the year with Max Fried hitting in the IL, and a strong outing in his first start back would be a great step in that direction.
On the other side of the equation is Shane Baz, who, while his 4-12 record certainly wouldn’t suggest it, isn’t having a bad year in his first season in orange and black. In fact, his numbers are a bit confusing at first glance. His ERA is down from 2025 to 2026 (4.87 to 4.00), and his ERA+ is a solid 103 heading into this matchup. He pitched the first complete game of his career two starts ago against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, but followed it up with an outing where he pitched just 3.0 innings, having given up nine hits and five earned runs. The 2026 season has been one of ups and downs for Baz, and in a wild card chase, he’s looking to find consistency.
Wednesday: Will Warren vs. Chris Bassitt (6:35 pm Eastern)
A day that brought some excitement and reinforcements back into the Yankees rotation also brought a major blow as Fried headed back to the IL with a bone bruise in his left elbow. Not only is he headed to the IL, but he’s headed there for the second time this season with the same injury, raising major concerns among Yankees fans that this could be a season-ending issue. If so, the rotation would lose a 2.81 ERA and a pitcher who can absolutely eat innings against the best teams. In his stead, Will Warren will take the mound against the Orioles in the second game of the series.
Warren’s last couple of starts were not as strong as he may have liked them to be, allowing three and five runs, respectively. And outside of his start at Wrigley Field in Chicago on July 31, Warren’s summer has not gone well. But the good news at least is that the Yankees have Warren on hand and obviously still stretched out as a starter, ready to replace Fried.
Chris Bassitt, the 37-year-old right-hander, has pitched only 61.2 innings this season, and a couple of his appearances have not been starts. His 5.11 ERA and 5.01 xFIP are the worst in his career since he truly broke into MLB, but he has also been dealing with injuries this year. He had been sidelined since June 3 due to a back issue, which ended up requiring a procedure to remove a bone spur from his lumbar region, and he was just activated from the 60-day injured list for the opening of the series against the Rays. He threw 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and three K’s. So despite the long layof, he came back and was about as sharp as could have been hoped.
Thursday: Gerrit Cole vs. Kyle Bradish (6:35 pm Eastern)
In the final matchup of the series, it’s two pitchers who have been productive for their respective squad. For the Yankees, it’s Gerrit Cole, who last pitched against the Blue Jays on August 14 and threw 6.0 innings and gave up just a run with two walks and five strikeouts. And in two of the four outings before that, he recorded at least nine strikeouts, including a season-high 11 strikeouts against his former club, the Pittsburgh Pirates. His fastball velocity is up on the season, and it seems as if Cole, while he’s not the pitcher he used to be, is still a well-above-average starter for the Yankees and can find a groove when he needs to be on.
Bradish has been consistent for the Orioles all season. He hasn’t been a world beater, but he’s certainly been good enough to win the team games and help keep them in the playoff race. His 3.65 ERA is second-best among Baltimore starters, and his xFIP is the best. He doesn’t strike out many batters, and walks have been somewhat of an issue, but Bradish works a lot of groundballs and gives his defenders chances to make a play. He is slowly approaching his career high in innings, and while he may not get there depending on the quality of his starts, it has still been a strong season for him. And in a crucial, potential rubber-match game for two AL East teams, he will need another 6.0-or-more-inning start.
