Yankees' Brett Gardner: Spring debut expected Wednesday
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Gardner could play his first game of spring training Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Gardner didn't officially sign with the Yankees until Feb. 23, so he's a bit behind his teammates. Still, the veteran enters the spring healthy and is expected to have a sizeable role as a reserve for the Yankees this season, and he'll have ample time to ramp up in anticipation of Opening Day.
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Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Could make spring debut Wednesday
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Stanton won't play in his first spring training game until at least Wednesday against Toronto, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Stanton is healthy entering the start of exhibition play, but the team is opting to hold him out for the time being. He could debut Wednesday night against the Blue Jays, though he'll likely continue to be eased into action over the course of the spring. Stanton is projected to primarily function as the team's DH this season due largely to an injury history that has limited him to only 41 games over the past two seasons.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Will ease into action
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Judge stated Sunday that he'll play in every other game at the start of spring training, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
Judge is healthy entering Grapefruit League play, but it makes sense for New York to be cautious with the slugger given his rash of injuries over the past three seasons. As long as he's able to avoid injury, Judge is expected to slot in as the Yankees' starting right fielder and bat near the top of the team's batting order.
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Yankees' Mike Tauchman: Open to playing first base
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Tauchman stated Saturday that he hasn't been approached by the Yankees about playing first base, but that he's open to the idea, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Tauchman also noted that he played some first base in college, perhaps as a nudge to the organization to find a way to get him playing time. Per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, the 30-year-old focused his offseason on crafting a "tighter and flatter" bat path after realizing that his power drop last year was caused by his bat path being "out of whack." Though Tauchman is an excellent defender in the outfield, it remains to be seen where he fits on the Yankees' depth chart, and his offensive struggles last season may have him on the outside looking in for a roster spot.
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Yankees' Luke Voit: Starting spring opener
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Voit (foot) is starting at first base and batting cleanup in Sunday's spring opener against the Blue Jays.
The 30-year-old played with plantar fasciitis throughout 2020, but he appears to be entering spring training in good health. Voit was still significantly productive with a .948 OPS, 22 homers and 52 RBI in 56 games, so he has high expectations entering 2021.
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Yankees' Luis Severino: Mound work coming soon
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Severino (elbow) is expected to throw off a mound within the next two weeks, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Severino is past the midpoint of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent back in February of last year, but he still has plenty of work to do. He won't throw off a mound next week but is expected to do so during the following week as he targets a return sometime over the summer.
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Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Injury considered minor
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Schmidt's elbow injury is considered minor, and he hopes to return soon, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Schmidt has been shut down to begin spring training due to an extensor strain in his elbow, but he said Saturday that the injury is a minor one. It's not yet clear whether the right-hander will return in time to build up enough ahead of Opening Day, but he appears to have avoided a long-term issue.
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Yankees' Corey Kluber: Throws to hitters Friday
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Kluber tossed two innings of live batting practice Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
The veteran hurler was tested in the session, facing the likes of Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres. Voit smashed a homer against Kluber, but that didn't stop manager Aaron Boone from feeling positive about the right-hander's session. "I feel really good about his progress," Boone said. "I thought he finished better than he started, and I think the stuff is overall pretty crisp. I'm encouraged where he's at." Kluber figures to slot in as the No. 2 starter for the Yankees this season.
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Yankees' Michael King: Will start spring opener
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King is slated to take the mound for the Yankees' first spring training game against Toronto on Sunday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
King is among a group of pitchers manager Aaron Boone mentioned as being in competition for the fifth-starter job, and he'll have a chance to showcase his stuff immediately against the Blue Jays. The right-hander struggled mightily in 26.2 big-league innings last season, so he'll likely need to dominate during spring training to claim a spot in the Opening Day rotation.
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Yankees' Domingo German: Throws to live hitters
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German tossed a 20-pitch batting-practice session Thursday, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.
This was German's first time on the mound with the Yankees since his September 2019 suspension, and manager Aaron Boone said the right-hander looked "sharp" against the five batters he faced. German is expected to compete for the team's final rotation spot during spring training, though Deivi Garcia may be the favorite to land the fifth-starter role.
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Yankees' Nestor Cortes: Throwing without issue
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Cortes (elbow) tossed a live batting practice session Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Cortes' ability to face hitters this early in camp suggests the left elbow impingement that sidelined him for the final month and a half of the 2020 season is no longer a concern. A non-roster invitee, Cortes will be fighting for a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day bullpen.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Yet to discuss extension
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Judge and the Yankees have not yet engaged in talks about a contract extension, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Judge isn't set to become a free agent until 2023 -- next season will be his final year of arbitration -- so the lack of extension talks is not necessarily telling when it comes to interpreting the Yankees' interest in locking him up long term. Still, the slugger has missed over 140 regular-season games over the past three seasons, so it wouldn't be shocking if New York has some level of trepidation about his ability to stay on the field. A healthy and productive 2021 campaign would likely ease those fears and set Judge up for a massive payday.
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Yankees' Luis Medina: Could debut in 2021
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Medina has a chance to be called up at some point during the coming campaign, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.
Medina is only 21 years old and has yet to pitch beyond the High-A level, but the organization is clearly optimistic about his outlook as a big-leaguer. "He's somebody we're very excited about...you never know what can happen. He's somebody that we feel has a bright future and a major-league future," manager Aaron Boone stated Tuesday. Though the young right-hander's upside and strikeout potential are certainly enticing, Medina will need to show vast improvement with his command and control before he's likely to find success in the majors.
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Yankees' Gio Urshela: Batting practice on tap
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Urshela (elbow) is expected to take batting practice in the coming days, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Urshela's elbow is close to full strength after he underwent surgery in December to remove a bone spur. He could appear in the team's first exhibition game Sunday, and he said Wednesday that he expects to take live batting practice soon. Barring any setbacks, the third baseman should be ready for Opening Day.
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Yankees' Jameson Taillon: Faces hitters Wednesday
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Taillon (elbow) tossed a live batting practice session Wednesday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Taillon's ability to face hitters this early in spring training would seem to suggest that the Yankees are confident that he's made a full recovery from the May 2019 Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2020 campaign, his final season in Pittsburgh. After surrendering a quartet of prospects to acquire him in January, the Yankees are counting on a healthy Taillon to re-emerge as a reliable No. 2 or 3 starter behind his former Pirates rotation mate, staff ace Gerrit Cole. Expect the Yankees to use Taillon judiciously in games during the Grapefruit League slate, but he should be ready to handle a 75-to-100-pitch workload in starts by the beginning of the regular season in April.
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Yankees' Brett Gardner: Deal includes 2022 options
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Gardner's contract with the Yankees includes $1.85 million and a $1 million signing bonus in 2021 as well a player and club option for 2022, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Per Heyman, Gardner's player option in 2022 would be worth $2.3 million and would convert to a $7.15 million club option or $1.15 million buyout if it is not exercised. Heyman also notes that the most likely scenario is for Gardner to decline the option and be bought out, which would ultimately make the contract worth $4 million. At this point in his career, Gardner's role figures to be that of a fourth outfielder, though manager Aaron Boone has stated that the most tenured Yankee will still see ample playing time.
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Yankees' Aroldis Chapman: Experimenting with splitter
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Chapman (suspension) will try out his splitter during spring training and plans to incorporate the pitch into his arsenal more frequently this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Chapman threw the splitter only three times last season, but he believes that he can effectively make it a more consistent part of his arsenal moving forward. "I believe it's definitely a pitch for me; I feel that I've incorporated that into my pitch mix," Chapman said through an interpreter. "I believe I'm going to use it more, unlike the changeup where I used it just a couple of times here and there. I feel really good with it." If he's able to find success with the pitch, Chapman could be even more dominant than he has already proven to be as one of MLB's top closers.
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Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: May still play some outfield
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Stanton could still play some outfield this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
General manager Brian Cashman suggested in October that Stanton would be purely a designated hitter going forward, but the team may be changing plans. Stanton's constant health issues mean the designated hitter role would seem to suit him well, though he's graded out as a decent outfielder over the course of his career, and manager Aaron Boone suggested Tuesday that playing the outfield occasionally could help him stay in shape. Stanton won't be outfield-eligible in standard setups to open the season, as he didn't play the field a single time last year, but it sounds as though there's at least a chance he picks up eligibility midseason in some leagues.
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Yankees' Estevan Florial: Held up by visa issues
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Florial has yet to arrive at camp due to visa issues, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
A large number of players around the league have been held up for similar reasons while trying to get back into the country. If Florial is able to arrive soon, he'll still have plenty of time to get up to speed by Opening Day, though he's unlikely to spend that day on the big-league roster regardless of when he shows up.
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Yankees' Greg Allen: Designated for assignment
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Allen was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday.
Allen will be the roster casualty as the Yankees add new signee Justin Wilson to the roster. Allen was never likely to be anything more than a bench option, as he's hit .239/.298/.343 in 221 career MLB games and hasn't graded out well in center field despite good speed. Whether or not that's an attractive enough package to convince another team to claim him off waivers remains to be seen.
