Around the Empire: Yankees news - 4/6/18

New York Post | Brian Costello: Coming into the season, the Yankees pitching strength was supposed to be their bullpen. They were supposed to help support a starting rotation that had questions. One week into the season, the bullpen has struggled. It’s still too early to sound off any alarms, but it is concerning. They’ve lost some very winnable games because of their bullpen. Chad Green even joined the party in yesterday’s loss to the Orioles.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees outfield depth could use some good news and it’s finally getting some. After we learned earlier this week that Aaron Hicks could return as early as next week, Clint Frazier is making progress in his return from a concussion. Frazier participated in a simulated game yesterday and will hopefully return to game action in the “next couple of days.” Go Red Thunder go!

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: While yesterday’s game was less than enjoyable, it wasn’t all bad. Masahiro Tanaka pitched well and Aaron Judge did Aaron Judge things. It’s common knowledge that Judge absolutely loves Orioles pitching and that was on full display yesterday as he homered for the ninth time in his last 11 games against them. It also was Judge’s 58th career home run in only 189 games, making him the fastest to reach that mark.

Rolling Stone | Bob Klapisch: Aaron Judge is good. But that’s not really news, is it? There’s really not much to this feature on Judge that isn’t already known but it’s still a good read. Judge talks about how he still has a lot to prove and how he hopes to avoid another mid-season slump like last year.

“Pitchers made an adjustment to me,” Judge acknowledge. “It’s up to me to come up with an answer.”

MLB.com | Oliver Macklin: The Yankees outfield depth had been hurting, so earlier in the week they claimed outfielder Trayce Thompson from the Dodgers. Aaand it’s gone. Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Athletics, so he makes his way to Oakland where he will attempt to become the most popular Thompson in the Bay Area. He just disappeared without a Trayce.

New York Post | Fred Kerber: Early on in Wednesday’s win against the Rays, Luis Severino looked like he was laboring just a bit. His slider was flat and the Rays scored off of him immediately. Then he made an adjustment to his slider and the dominant Severino of 2017 emerged. Severino cruised after that, ultimately pitching 7.1 innings of two-run ball (though the second run scored after he already left the game).

On an unrelated note. PSA’s resident Canadian and maple syrup expert Joshua Diemert will be joining SB Nation Radio this morning. Josh will be talking all things Yankees as it pertains to what we’ve seen so far this season. Aaron Boone and the bullpen’s early struggles will probably be a topic of discussion, but I’m sure he’ll also have a chance to give his thoughts on Giancarlo Stanton (rumor has it that he’s a Yankee now) and his monster dongs. You can tune in here at 11:25am EDT.