Yankees fans are feeling the pain this week as they learned the fate of Aaron Judge and his ribs. It appears the team captain has a rib fracture and will miss considerably more time than originally anticipated. While the team has every reason to believe Judge will be back this season, this, of course, will start to ramp up speculation of ye olde rumor mill as we head towards trade deadline time. Will the Yankees seek out a temporary solution, or do they have faith in their existing roster to get
the job done? Time will tell!
In other news from today’s highlights, Manny Machado makes it clear he doesn’t think too highly of analytics, and Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal is already throwing scoreless rehab starts in the minors. Then, as CBA discussions go back and forth, an important point has emerged: could this round of contract talks bring an end to broadcasting blackouts? We all hope so.
We’ve got that and more in today’s news, so let’s get right into it.
- Michael Baumann looks at Gerrit Cole, his first loss since his return, and the bigger question of who the best draft prospect of the 21st century is.
- Bad news for Yankees fans as Aaron Judge is slated to miss more time with a rib fracture. Story by Jay Jaffe.
- With Judge out, Jazz Chisholm Jr. put the captain’s bat to good use. Story by Bryan Hoch.
- Jason Beck reports that Tarik Skubal is already making strong rehab starts, despite just having his surgery a couple of months ago.
- Could the CBA negotiations bring an end to blackout restrictions for broadcasts? Story by Evan Drellich. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Manny Machado is apparently anti-analytics.
- Matt Martell shares his experience at the first-ever Coney Island Hot Dog Race.
- Theo DeRose shares a rare 7-5-3 double play.
- Dusty Baker reflects on the highs and lows of his storied baseball career. Story by Daniel Brown. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Anne Rogers reports that Bobby Witt Jr. is out with a sore knee, but the Royals are optimistic it isn’t serious.
- Who are the 12 greatest MLB managers of all time? (SI)
- The Orioles are more than a little annoyed about an on-field call that might have cost them a game. (AP)
- This is a Payton Tolle appreciation post.
- Davy Andrews of FanGraphs kept a baseball thoughts journal after the birth of his daughter and is sharing some of the contents.
- A young Tigers fan showed off her homemade McGonigoggles and her hero homered. Story by Brent Maguire.
- The fascinating tale of a Royce Lewis jersey giveaway that the Twins can’t seem to figure out. Story by Tom Dierberger.
- Tyler Kepner assesses the Cleveland Guardians’ pitching factory and its next big potential stars. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- Who are the most deserving first-time All-Star candidates from each team? (SI)
- There’s been a hiccup in Jorge Polanco’s rehab, as he has been sent for more testing. (ESPN)
- Stray Kids and MLB? Say less!
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.
