New York Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): Ace southpaw Max Fried has taken a small step forward in his return from the elbow injury that felled him. Monday, Fried played catch for the first time since hitting the Injured List. Despite that, there are no plans for Fried to quickly ramp up for a return. Fried has previously called his timeline “ambiguous,” and he’s trying to manage expectations. Honestly, given the way the rest of the rotation is pitching, the Yankees are best served being careful with the star lefty. It’s not like he can hit and play third base or catcher, anyway.
MLB | Robert Falkoff: If it seems like it’s been a hot minute since the Yankees lost a baseball game to the Kansas City Royals, it’s because it has been. Monday marked the 12th consecutive Yanks’ victory over the Royals, including the postseason. Monday, Anthony Volpe was the unlikely hero. His two-run single off Royals closer Lucas Erceg in the ninth inning turned a one-out deficit into a one-run lead and set the stage for the comeback win. The Yanks’ dominance over KC is their longest such streak since they won a dozen in a row against Boston during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. With Cam Schlitter going Tuesday, they have a decent chance to get to a baker’s dozen.
TJ Stats | Thomas Nestico: Another Yankee prospect is making some noise in the early going. Jackson Lovich, a 6-foot-4 shortstop playing at Low-A, has been absolutely raking the past couple of weeks. The Yanks drafted him in the 16th round in 2025. FanGraphs noted prior to this season (leaving him off their Top 30 Yankees prospects list) that the question would be whether he could overcome a penchant for striking out and maximize his power. But over the past two weeks, he’s hit eight long balls while displaying elite exit velocities, and while he’s still striking out a lot, it’s less than before. If he keeps this up, he’ll likely get a chance to see if he can hit High-A pitching sooner rather than later.
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