ESPN | Jorge Castillo: On Thursday night, with the Yankees’ home 0pener looming, the team’s players received a missive from their captain. The message was simple: suits tomorrow. Aaron Judge followed up on his sartorial directive with a booming two-run homer in the first, setting the tone for an eventual 8-2 victory. “That’s what he does best,” first baseman Ben Rice said after the game. “Coming out, swinging out the gate like that for us is huge. It’s just so contagious and got everybody going.”
Most importantly, the team dodged a bullet when Judge was hit by a pitch on the forearm in his next at-bat, a type of HBP which once caused the right fielder to break his wrist, and walked away unscathed.
SNY | Garrett Stepien: Another highlight in Friday’s victory was an improbable, juggling grab by Cody Bellinger in the ninth inning to help close the door. After the ball hit off his wrist, the left fielder somehow managed to reach down and grab it before it hit the ground. “I definitely got lucky. I threw my glove out there,” said Bellinger, who was visibly surprised with the recovery. The veteran excelled in left last year in his debut with the Yankees, tying for tops in the AL with five Outs Above Average at the position.
SNY | Ben Krimmel: Yesterday morning, manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts on a few key Yankees topics. After reports that Carlos Rodón suffered a hamstring issue as he works his way back from elbow surgery, Boone expressed confidence the setback would be minor. “He’s able to keep his arm going through this,” the skipper noted, adding that the hamstring issue “is minor enough that that’s the case, so it’s a good thing.” Gerrit Cole is also continuing his progression back from Tommy John, with Boone indicating that his recovery is “going well, he looks great, every bullpen, every live, every game that I’ve seen from him has been really, really encouraging.” The last update on the IL front is that shortstop Anthony Volpe is expected to begin a minor-league rehab start around mid-April if he avoids any setbacks in his recovery.
Boone also sang the praises of Giancarlo Stanton, who started the year a scorching hot 10-for-20. “He’s just kinda been on everything,” Boone said of his DH. “Recognizing pitches well. He’s really good at devising a game plan that he wants to use against a particular pitcher and staying disciplined to that.” He also noted Stanton’s contributions to the clubhouse, calling the veteran “such a stud in our room.”
