Because losing two of three to the crummy Orioles isn’t bad enough, the Yankees lost Giancarlo Stanton to an injury this weekend as well. He was placed on the injured list with a biceps strain earlier today. The lineup is now missing Stanton, Didi Gregorius, and Aaron Hicks. They combined for 92 homers and +12.9 WAR last year. That’s a lot of production gone.
“I don’t like it at all,” Stanton said to Bryan Hoch this afternoon. “I just worked for six weeks to get here, plus the offseason. I’d much rather this would have popped in Spring Training, but it’s where we’re at.”
Clint Frazier is with the Yankees and was told he’ll play a lot, though he’s not in today’s lineup because he’s been traveling — he went from Tampa to Scranton yesterday, then Scranton to New York this morning — and also because tonight’s matchup isn’t good. Tyson Ross chews up righties and is susceptible to lefties, so Mike Tauchman gets his first start in pinstripes. Here are tonight’s lineups:
New York Yankees
1. CF Brett Gardner
2. RF Aaron Judge
3. DH Luke Voit
4. 1B Greg Bird
5. C Gary Sanchez
6. 2B Gleyber Torres
7. 3B DJ LeMahieu
8. LF Mike Tauchman
9. SS Troy Tulowitzki
RHP Domingo German
Detroit Tigers
1. 2B Josh Harrison
2. RF Nick Castellanos
3. DH Miguel Cabrera
4. 1B Niko Goodrum
5. 3B Jeimer Candelario
6. LF Christin Stewart
7. C Grayson Greiner
8. SS Jordy Mercer
9. CF Mikie Mahtook
RHP Tyson Ross
It has been a deceptively beautiful day in New York. Big blue sky and not a cloud to be found. It’s also freezing. Those last few days with temperatures in the 60s were a tease. It’ll be in the low 40s tonight. Yeesh. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm ET tonight and you can watch on the YES Network. Enjoy.
Injury Update: Aaron Hicks (back) has started doing some rotational work. He has not yet resumed baseball activities and Aaron Boone said Hicks “still has got some weeks to go,” which ain’t good.