I’ve had a number of folks ask where they can get their DotF fix once RAB shuts down. I recommend MLB.com’s Prospect Pipeline page. Scroll down, pick the Yankees, and they have the day’s box scores all on one page. There are no player comments like DotF, but all the stats are there. Some quick notes:
- OF Matt Lipka was placed on Triple-A Scranton’s injured list with a hamstring issue, reports Conor Foley. No word on a timetable for his return. IF Billy Fleming, who I mistaken said had been released in last week’s chat, was called up from Extended Spring Training to fill the roster spot.
- Dan Martin wrote about RHP Clarke Schmidt’s dominant season debut. “He was actually better than his line. He topped out at 95-96 with a great curve and changeup and threw a lot of strikes. He was as good as advertised,” said pitching coordinator Danny Borrell.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (5-1 win over Lehigh Valley)
- LF Trey Amburgey: 1-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K — 10-for-24 (.417) in the early going … remember, he was supposed to start the season in Trenton … he’s only here because the RailRiders needed an outfielder to replace Clint Frazier when he was called up to the Bronx
- DH Mike Ford: 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
- SS Thairo Estrada: 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB — first hits of the season
- C Kyle Higashioka: 1-5, 1 RBI, 2 K
- LHP Gio Gonzalez: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 WP, 6/2 GB/FB — 56 of 89 pitches were strikes (63%) … much better than his first start last week … Conor Foley says Gonzalez threw junk all game, so breaking balls and changeups with only a few fastballs … he’s lost quite a bit of velocity in recent years and sat mostly 88-89 mph last season, so kitchen sink might be the way to go at this point of his career … with Luis Severino being shut down for six weeks, Gonzalez suddenly becomes pretty important … there is enough time for two more Triple-A starts before his April 20th opt-out
- LHP Danny Coulombe: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GB/FB — 10 of 24 pitches were strikes (42%) … Conor Foley says Coulombe left the game with the trainer, so that’s not good
Double-A Trenton Thunder (7-2 win over Akron)
- SS Kyle Holder: 1-1, 1 R — he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the second inning, which is odd
- SS Hoy Jun Park: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 K — he was not on the Opening Day roster, so he was added at some point in the last week … went deep on the first Double-A pitch he saw … here’s video of the homer
- DH Rashad Crawford: 2-4, 2 R, 1 K, 1 SB
- 3B Angel Aguilar: 2-2, 2 RBI — he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth, which is also odd
- 3B Brandon Wagner: 0-2, 1 K
- RHP Nick Nelson: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 3/3 GB/FB — 54 of 88 pitches were strikes (61%) … not a terrible season debut … not a good season debut either, but not terrible
- RHP Domingo Acevedo: 2 IP, zeroes, 3 K, 0/2 GB/FB — 13 of 20 pitches were strikes (65%) … 12 up, 12 down, six strikeouts in two appearancess as a reliever
High-A Tampa Tarpons (9-8 loss to St. Lucie)
- SS Diego Castillo: 0-5, 1 RBI — my dude is 0-for-21 to start the season
- CF Pablo Olivares: 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K
- 3B Oswaldo Cabrera: 2-3, 1 R, 2 BB — 8-for-18 (.444) through five games
- 1B Dermis Garcia: 1-4, 2 RBI — 7-for-23 (.304) with a double and a homer through six games
- LF Isiah Gilliam: 1-5, 2 K — got picked off first
- C Donny Sands: 1-4, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 PB
- RHP Rony Garcia: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 2/3 GB/FB — 60 of 87 pitches were strikes (69%) … very nice outing for the cutter specialist … he’s not among the tippy top arms the Yankees in the system, but Rony has some ability … he’s not just an organizational depth guy
Low-A Charleston RiverDogs Game One (17-3 loss to Asheville in seven innings) makeup of yesterday’s rainout
- LF Brandon Lockridge: 0-3, 2 K
- DH Isaiah Pasteur: 0-3, 3 K — 2-for-17 (.118) with seven strikeouts so far
- CF Josh Stowers: 2-3, 1 R — 7-for-17 (.412) with four walks and four strikeouts through five games
- 2B Kyle Gray: 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 CS
- RHP Luis Medina: 2 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 1/1 GB/FB, 1 E (pickoff) — 37 of 66 pitches were strikes (56%) … first of all: YIKES … second of all: I figured any struggles this year would be control-related, not because he got squared up too frequently
- RHP Rodney Hutchison: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 1 WP, 1 HB, 1/4 GB/FB — 36 of 77 pitches were strikes (47%) … another YIKES … six homers in 5.2 innings for Medina is Hutchison is Not What You Want
Low-A Charleston RiverDogs Game Two (8-3 loss to Asheville)
- LF Brandon Lockridge: 1-4, 1 K, 1 E (throwing)
- CF Josh Stowers: 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K — very nice start to the season for the prospect the Yankees got in the Sonny Gray trade
- DH Nelson Gomez: 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB
- 2B Kyle Gray: 0-1, 2 BB
- RHP Alex Vizcaino: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 WP, 3/3 GB/FB — 49 of 77 pitches were strikes (64%)
The Short Season Staten Island Yankees, Rookie Pulaski Yankees, and two Rookie Gulf Coast League Yankees teams begin play in June.