MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: An already beleagured Yankee outfield suffered another blow last night, as centerfielder Trent Grisham pulled up limp between first and second base in the sixth inning of the 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays. Grisham left the game with what the Yankees called right hamstring tightness. We’ve seen how hard soft-tissue injuries in the legs can be to deal with, and we may wake up to the news that Grish is headed to the IL. He’ll join Aaron Judge and Jasson Domínguez if so, and the position group thought to be the strongest of the team looks awful depleted all of a sudden.
New York Post | Greg Joyce ($): No team can withstand the loss of a player like Aaron Judge, but the Yankees have been doing their very best, led by a different corner outfielder. Cody Bellinger has been a top 10 player in the American League this season, and been critical on both sides of the ball. His sterling 175 wRC+ in the month of May bouyed the offense as Judge played hurt, and he has been the best defensive player in baseball if you believe DRS. If you prefer Statcast, well, he’s merely a top 10 most valuable defender in the sport. With no Captain on the field, Cody Bellinger might be borrowing from hockey and wearing an A so far this year.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Meanwhile, after a couple hot games to start his season, Anthony Volpe has begun to fall on hard times both at the plate and in the field. The shortstop was not in the starting lineup on Friday night in Toronto, and seems destined to cede more playing time in the future. Meanwhile, Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. seems to have found his footing with Triple-A Scranton with a 120 wRC+ since Memorial Day, and a 114 overall which is quite good given how much he struggled in his initial promotion. Lombard isn’t MLB ready just yet, but you can imagine Volpe may be hearing footsteps behind him.
MLB.com | Jesse Borek: Speaking of prospects, meet Tony Rossi. The 26-year-old reliever has had as winding a career as you possibly can in the game, bouncing between three colleges, signing for $10,000 as an undrafted free agent with the Yankees, and now he has been just about the best pitcher in the entire Yankee system so far this year. Now throwing out of the Double-A Somerset bullpen since being promoted in early June, Rossi has gone 17 straight appearances (dating back to Hudson Valley) without allowing a run, and the legacy of the Yankees churning out high-end relievers out of seemingly nowhere may be stirring.
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