Three quick thoughts:
1. The Yankees believe they will get Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius back soon, but enough uncertainty lingers with Aaron Judge’s wrist that it is possible they could still add an outfield bat before Friday’s deadline to add a player who would be eligible for the playoffs. Curtis Granderson and Andrew McCutchen are known to have passed through waivers.
2. Josh Donaldson was a near certainty to be traded if he could come through his rehab in good order. But after playing his first game Tuesday, Donaldson was not in the lineup Wednesday due to sore calves and legs. He has not played in the majors since May 28 because of a calf ailment. He has about $4 million still owed him and will probably get through waivers because of that.
If he does get traded (more iffy now), my best fit (based on gut, not insight): the Indians. They need an outfield bat more, but if Donaldson can play third, Jose Ramirez could shift to second and Jason Kipnis could become part of an outfield brew. Cleveland needs another bat, and the folks who run the Blue Jays, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, come from the Indians, if that helps facilitate a deal.
3. Jacob deGrom has an MLB-high 11 starts of at least seven innings and zero or one run yielded. That is the same as what the Yankees have as a whole rotation, and more than eight other entire teams. DeGrom is 3-1 in those games with a staggering seven no-decisions.
Another major record
San Diego’s Luis Urias, one of the game’s top prospects; Baltimore’s Josh Rogers, a key piece the Yankees dealt for Zach Britton; and Seattle’s Shawn Armstrong, a relatively anonymous reliever, each made his 2018 major league debut Tuesday — in the case of Urias and Rogers, it was their major league debuts.
Why point this out?
That took the number of players to appear in a game this year to 1,301. Before 2013, the 1,300 level had never been exceeded. But since that year of 1,304, it has gone, in order, to 1,320, 1,348, 1,353 and 1,358 in 2017. With roster expansion beginning Saturday, the record will surely be set again this year. In fact, 1,400 is not out of the realm. The first time it ever crossed 1,200 was 1999.
Teams have become more willing users of the DL, more willing to summon players from the minors to create flexibility/depth and more willing to trust young (inexpensive) players. Three of the five largest rookie classes ever have come in the past three seasons, including 434 last year. And at 384 before September call-ups, the record may very well fall again.
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