New York Yankees vs. Toronto Blue Jays: Jameson Taillon vs. Hyun Jin Ryu

Last night, the Yankees opened the series against the Toronto Blue Jays of Dunedin in a big way, as Gerrit Cole and Kyle Higashioka combined to dominate Toronto hitters and pitchers. Neither of them, however, will be playing today, so the Yankees will need contributions from literally anybody else, especially in the lineup.

Cole’s former and once again teammate Jameson Taillon will make his second start as a member of the Yankees. Despite there being 707 days since his previous Major League outing, Taillon looked sharp, limiting the Baltimore Orioles to only two runs on three hits, with those two runs coming off two solo home runs, in 4.2 innings; furthermore, he struck out seven without walking a batter. Although the Yankees are being careful with his pitch count since he hasn’t pitched in almost two years, expect to see a small increase from the 74 pitches he threw last time out.

Opposing him will be Toronto ace Hyun Jin Ryu, whom the Yankees will see for the second time this season. On Opening Day, Ryu largely held the Yankees lineup in check, giving up two runs on four hits (one home run), striking out five and walking only one in 5.1 innings. He was even better in his second start, fanning seven without giving up a walk in seven innings against the Texas Rangers.

For the second straight game, Aaron Boone has messed around with the Yankees lineup. Giancarlo Stanton will once again be batting second, with Aaron Judge sliding into the third spot; Gary Sánchez, meanwhile, is back in the lineup and batting fourth for the first time since August 28, 2020. Gleyber Torres gets the day off after jamming his finger diving back into a base yesterday; although tests came back clean, the Yankees have decided to be cautious. In his place, Gio Urshela will make his first start at shortstop since May 25, 2018; DJ LeMahieu shifts over to third, and Rougned Odor will remain at second for the third straight game.

How to watch

Location: TD Ballpark - Dunedin, FL

First pitch: 7:07 p.m. ET

TV broadcast: YES Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv, Fubo

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Let’s Go Yankees!