Yankees camp notes: Intrasquad game, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, more

The Bronx is humming with activity as Yankees summer camp gets up to speed. Simulated games, batting practice, pitcher’s fielding practice, conditioning—you name it, the Yanks are doing it. For the first time since March, we can talk about actual baseball activities. Pretty neat, ain’t it?

A lot of news has developed over the last few days, so we’re going to provide periodic camp notes to help fill in the gaps. Here’s what you need to know to start your week, in bullet-point format:

• Games are back, starting tonight - The Yankees will open the week a pair of intrasquad games, one on Monday night and another on Tuesday (Lindsey Adler). Both games will have a 7 PM first pitch. According to Seth Rothman, the YES Network will carry them with coverage starting at 6 PM. J.A. Happ squares off against Clarke Schmidt in the first scrimmage, while Gerrit Cole will reportedly pitch in the second game (Erik Boland). I cannot explain how great it will feel to cover a game under the lights, even if it’s a scrimmage. Expect a game thread for each.
• Tanaka diagnosed with concussion - A scary situation unfolded over the weekend when a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton struck Masahiro Tanaka in the head. The right-hander was transported to the hospital, where a CT scan came back clean. He was, however, diagnosed with a mild concussion (Marly Rivera). Any head injury is a serious injury, but this feels like the best-case scenario for Tanaka. The accident looked pretty terrible. Aaron Boone believes that Tanaka could possibly start the season with the Yankees, which would be incredible all things considered (Andy Martino).
• Paxton impresses in sim game - We got our first look at James Paxton on a mound in 2020 yesterday. Big Maple underwent back surgery to remove a peridiscal cyst in February, and that was expected to sideline him for the first few months of the season. Now, however, he appears ready to go. I mean, check out his stuff in this clip the Yankees shared on Twitter. Yeesh. Paxton used an L-Screen because of Tanaka’s injury, which he revealed came off a ball with an exit velocity of 112 mph (Brendan Kuty).
• Sanchez and Chapman arrive to camp - Gary Sanchez and Aroldis Chapman both participated in yesterday’s workouts. The pair had to wait a few extra days for their intake processes to get completed, but they’re healthy and available. Sanchez made a few plate appearances against Paxton, while Chapman threw a bullpen (Bryan Hoch, Pete Caldera).
• Wear a mask - Your favorite Yankees wear masks to protect each other. Cole watched Paxton pitch from the stands, and he wore a mask. Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela wore their masks while walking through the city. Now do your part, show some love for your neighbors, and wear a mask.