MLB.com: The Yankees have signed Chien-Fan Lai as an undrafted free agent, the team announced Tuesday. The highest-rated Taiwanese pitcher in the 2026 amateur class, Lai is a 6-foot right-hander who recently graduated from high school. “The signing of Chien-Fan represents our renewed commitment to players in Taiwan, and in Asia as a whole,” said Mario Garza, the Yankees’ Director of International Scouting. “As I have gotten to know Chien-Fan, I have seen a focused and self-assured individual with great aptitude and a desire to improve.” Garza also noted the youngster’s pitch mix, which includes a live fastball and multiple promising off-speed pitches. The Yankees have signed two other players out of Taiwan in their history, most notably Chien-Ming Wang in 2000, who finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting after the 2006 season.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: ($) After getting demoted to Triple-A Saturday, J.C. Escarra was recalled before Tuesday’s game. This reprieve came as Ali Sánchez, who’d edged him out for the backup catching job behind Austin Wells, landed on the paternity list. Sánchez coincidentally exited Monday’s game after taking a hit by pitch to the wrist. While X-rays were negative, he was slated to receive a CT scan as well to rule out a hairline fracture.
In other injury news, both Max Fried and Clarke Schmidt threw bullpens last week and are expected to begin facing live hitters next week. Per manager Aaron Boone, Trent Grisham is expected to join the Yankees later this week in Boston to begin “running bases, shagging, BP — all that stuff.” Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge remain essentially in holding patterns at this point in time.
MLB.com | Steve Kornacki: Gerrit Cole had a rough go of it Monday, allowing five runs on nine hits while lasting 4.1 innings in his worst outing since returning from the IL last month. “I sure made a handful of mistakes there,” said the Yankees’ ace. “But they hit a good amount of good pitches. But we just weren’t able to respond with the type of quality pitches to get out of those situations from the extra pressure they put on us.”
The start bumped Cole’s ERA up from 2.57 to 3.62. His manager emphasized that the 35-year-old’s stuff looks undiminished after a year-plus layoff. “I think overall, he’s pitching very much in line with who Gerrit Cole has been throughout his career,” said Boone. “I think he looks good. The stuff’s there. It always comes down to how good you execute time in and time out, and for the most part he’s been very good.”
ESPN: Jazz Chisholm’s unusual mid-game treat Monday did not go unnoticed, as Boone expressed frustration with Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s decision to take the field with a lollipop in his mouth. “That pisses me off,” the normally measured manager said in an interview Tuesday, noting he was unaware of the transgression until after the game. “He and I talked about that, and that won’t be going on.”
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