I think I speak for everyone here when I hope the 2026 iteration of the Yankees does not prove to be as starkly bipolar as it has been throughout the season’s first month and a half. New York has dropped four consecutive games following a torrid stretch when they briefly had the best record in baseball—and that brief skid has allowed the Rays to not only catch up in the division, but go up by two games.
For what it’s worth, the last three Yankee defeats including last night’s 3-2 heartbreaker against
the Orioles have all been one-run margins, but they have shone a spotlight on some weaknesses in this roster, one only exacerbated by a spate of recent injuries. Tonight they’ll look to avoid dropping their second straight series after winning their previous six.
Last season, the Bombers often needed to turn to Max Fried to stop a losing streak. They’re hoping they don’t have to wait an extra day for Fried’s turn in the rotation, sending Will Warren to the hill tonight. Warren has a tough act to follow: Ryan Weathers was outstanding against Baltimore, bringing a no-hitter into the seventh inning before one little hit (and later, a big one off Brent Headrick) spoiled the party. With Carlos Rodón back from the IL and Gerrit Cole continuing to ramp up for his long-awaited return, Weathers and Warren are both auditioning to stay part of the regular starting crew. Thankfully, both pitchers have impressed to start the year.
Warren’s last start was not his finest work, as the Rangers had little trouble stacking baserunners on him. He gave up seven hits, three walks, and a pair of homers in a 6-1 loss; though he still managed to squeeze in seven strikeouts amid all that hullabaloo. His previous three starts before that one were all high-quality—and hey, three good starts out of four while posting a strikeout rate over 30 percent is a body of work any team would take from their fourth or fifth starter.
Naturally, a strong outing from Warren won’t mean diddly squat if the Yankees can’t get out of their sudden funk at the plate.
I was actually in person for Trevor Rogers’ last start before he hit the IL with a nasty case of the flu. It wasn’t pretty—he got stuck in the mud in the second inning against a struggling Red Sox lineup and just couldn’t claw his way out. Once he reached over 30 pitches in the inning, Craig Albernaz sent him on his way. Boston won that game 17-1, and Alex Cora was fired later that evening. Baseball!
Rogers tore up the league last year for Baltimore, earning down-ballot Cy Young love as a result. His 2026 campaign has been uneven: his first three starts were 2025 Rogers-esque, but his next three were messy before he fell ill. Well, a recent illness didn’t stop Weathers from finding his footing on the slab—let’s see if Rogers can shake off the rust, too. (In case you’re curious, his last two starts of 2025 were both against the Yanks; one was great, the other was rough.)
In case you missed it, José Caballero officially went on the IL with a broken finger and Anthony Volpe was recalled. However, the latter won’t necessarily make his 2026 debut tonight—at least not in the starting lineup anyway. Max Schuemann gets the nod at the six after doubling in his last two starts. Paul Goldschmidt leads off against the lefty Rogers, and Amed Rosario subs in at second for the ever-slumping Jazz Chisholm Jr.
How to watch
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD
First pitch: 6:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, MASN
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), 98 Rock 97.9 FM, WBAL 1090 AM (BA. L) n
Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only), Gotham Sports App
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