Series Preview: Series 23 vs. Athletics
Photo Via: Elsa — Getty ImagesYankee Stadium is back! For reopening day, the Yankees will bring in a stadium with 100% capacity, although I would be surprised to see a packed stadium for this series. After a sweep of the Jays, the Yanks can really get a streak going with a few wins this weekend.
Yankees Record: 36-32
Athletics Record: 43-27
Season Series: 0-0
Lifetime Record: 1,131-774 (Yankees leading)
Game 1
Friday, June 18 — 7:05 pm — YES Network
Probable Pitchers: James Kaprielian - RHP (OAK) vs. Jameson Taillon - RHP (NYY)
Game Notes: Jameson Taillon is really, really having a tough time. He did not make it out of the first inning of his last start in Philadelphia. He now has a 5.62 ERA on the year.
James Kaprielian has a 2.72 ERA this season after getting the call up last month. He used to be in the Yankees’ farm system after they took him in the first round of the draft. He was then traded to Oakland in the deal that sent Sonny Gray to the Bronx. He will surely be looking to stick it to his old franchise.
Game 2
Saturday, June 19 — 1:05 pm — YES Network, MLB Network
Probable Pitchers: Chris Bassitt - RHP (OAK) vs. Domingo Germán - RHP (NYY)
Game Notes: Domingo Germán was roughed up badly in Philadelphia as well. Overall, he is having a solid season. His ERA skyrocketed to 3.88, but it does not truly reflect how effective he has been in 2021.
On the other hand, Chris Bassitt has been consistently great for Oakland. He is pitching deep into ball games and utilizing a nice mix of low-90’s fastballs, a slow curveball, and some breaking pitches in between to keep hitters off balance. He has a 3.43 ERA and 91 strikeouts this year.
Game 3
Sunday, June 20 — 1:05 pm — WPIX 11, TBS, MLB Network
Probable Pitchers: Sean Manaea - LHP (OAK) vs. Jordan Montgomery - LHP (NYY)
Game Notes: Jordan Montgomery is turning every start into a battle. In his last start, he loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning against the Blue Jays. He was able to pitch into the 6th inning and keep the Yankees in the game, but he will not be able to skirt by like that all the time. The lefty has a 4.20 ERA and 69 strikeouts this year.
Sean Manaea has been so good for the A’s. He also has a great history pitching in Yankee Stadium. The lefty has thrown 12 shutout innings. This year, he has a 2.99 ERA for the A’s.
Sluggers to Watch
Aaron Judge in front of a full Yankee Stadium? It just feels right. The big guy is the face of the franchise, so it is only right to pick him in this series’s slugger to watch. He had an awful series versus Toronto (7 Ks) after having back spasms last weekend. Now, he has a chance to right the ship at home.
Matt Olson in Yankee Stadium also feels like an easy “start” in your fantasy league. The big lefty is having a great season and that short porch probably looks very appealing for the weekend series. He has 18 home runs this year and usually plays in a giant stadium in Oakland, so Yankee Stadium shold not be a challenge for him.
Injury Report
SS Gleyber Torres exited Thursday’s game with lower back stiffness after making a diving play in the field. However, he is in Friday night’s lineup and should be good to go. Aaron Boone said Torres was feeling a lot better after the game.
1B Luke Voit (oblique strain) started a rehab assignment on Sunday and could return at some point during this series or for the team’s next series.
RHP Luis Severino began a rehab assignment last week, but ran into a major setback on Saturday. He was removed from his start with a groin injury and had to be helped off the field. The Yankees say his timeline was pushed back by about a month.
RHP Clarke Schmidt (elbow strain), and RHP Darren O’Day (strained rotator cuff), RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder strain), and CF Aaron Hicks (wrist surgery - out for season) are all out for the series.
OF Ryan LaMarre (pulled hamstring) was reinstated from the injured list and outrighted back to Triple-A.
Schmidt is still in the process of completing a throwing program but has not yet progressed to a rehab assignment.
Kluber has yet to begin his throwing program but has done running drills.
O’Day is still continuing his throwing program but has not begun a rehab assignment.
For the Athletics, OF Ramón Laureano recently returned from the injured list and is active for this series.
The Athletics have the following players on the 10-day injured list who will not play this series:
RHP J.B. Wendelken (strained oblique)
The Athletics have the following players on the 60-day injured list who will not play in this series:
RHP Mike Fiers (sprained elbow)
RHP Trevor Rosenthal (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery)