Around the Empire: Yankees news - 4/12/21

CBS Sports | Katherine Acquavella: The Yankees had previously announced that they designated Thairo Estrada for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster for Rougned Odor, but the Yankees officially moved him yesterday. Estrada will be joining the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations. Estrada was assigned to the Giants’ alternate site, but serves as insurance for a Giants infield that features Brandon Crawford, Tommy La Stella, Donovan Solano, and Wilmer Flores. Also in the story is an all-time quote from the newly-shaven Odor, who claims his daughter “didn’t even want to look at him” after he shaved his familiar beard.

SNY | Scott Thompson: Before yesterday’s game, Aaron Boone updated the status of several injured Yankees, including Clarke Schmidt, Luke Voit, Luis Severino, Zack Britton, and Miguel Andújar. Schmidt is the only one with any real bad news here — he is seeking a second opinion on his common flexor tendon strain after experiencing more discomfort. The rest of the group is continuing to progress as expected — Voit has yet to do any “baseball activities,” Severino and Britton are continuing to throw and should be back in the summer, while Andújar could move from tee work to live swings soon.

WFAN | Lou DiPietro: Although the Yankees sent Domingo Germán down to the alternate site, Boone clarified that he will likely be the pitcher the team recalls when they next need a fifth starter in 10 days. The move apparently had more to do with getting a fresh arm in the bullpen and taking advantage of scheduled days off than a true demotion for Germán, who struggled to a 9.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP while allowing four home runs in his first two starts. When asked about Deivi García, Boone said he’d heard good reports, and would consider him if the team needs a “sixth starter” at some point. This confirms that despite his struggles, Germán is still the Yankees’ fifth starter.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Things got testy again between the Yankees and Rays on Sunday (go figure), but fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Jordan Montgomery struggled with his control in the game, walking the first batter on four pitches and then hitting Austin Meadows. Both teams received warnings given their history, but things got awkward when Montgomery hit Meadows again in the fifth inning. The umpires determined that it wasn't intentional, but it will be interesting to see how the Rays’ “stable” responds in their next meeting.