Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/31/21

NJ Advanced Media | Brendan Kuty: Neither DJ LeMahieu nor Gio Urshela started the first game of the Yankees’ series against the Marlins Friday night. A hamstring injury kept Urshela from manning his usual spot at third base and LeMahieu didn’t start at second base because he is dealing with a “bruised or strained” triceps, according to manager Aaron Boone. Tyler Wade started at third and Rougned Odor started at second in lieu of Urshela and LeMahieu, respectively. Both LeMahieu and Urshela ended up coming into the game, however, after home plate umpire Dan Bellino ejected Gleyber Torres for arguing a called third strike.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: During the last hours before Friday’s trade deadline, the Yankees acquired Angels LHP Andrew Heaney plus cash considerations to add some depth to the back end of the starting rotation. In return, the Angels received minor league right-handers Janson Junk and Elvis Peguero from the Yankees organization as part of the deal. Junk, 25, has a 1.78 ERA across 14 games (12 starts) this season for the Yankees Double-A affiliate. Peguero, 24, has a 2.23 ERA through 21 relief appearances in High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset this year. Heaney, 30, has posted a middling 5.27 ERA in 94 innings so far in 2021, though his stuff has looked sharp during his last couple starts and the Yankees believe the metrics underlying his pitching are indicative of his potential.

SI.com | Max Goodman: It didn’t take long for former Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo to hit a homer for his new club. In his third at-bat as a Yankee on Friday night, Rizzo hit a home run that traveled 449 feet to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning against the Marlins. The solo homer, which landed in the upper deck of LoanDepot Park, was Rizzo’s 15th long ball of the season.

James Smyth via Twitter | Nestor Cortes surprised most Yankees fans on Friday night when he became the first pitcher to pinch run for the club since AJ Burnett had to do it in the 15th inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 18th, 2011.

NY Post | Evan Orris: After initially being placed on administrative leave on July 16th, Washington Nationals infielder and former Yankee Starlin Castro has received a 30-game suspension without pay and has been fined an undisclosed amount for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. In addition, Castro is ineligible to play in the 2021 postseason and the Nationals announced the team will release him after he serves his suspension. The details of violation, as well as information regarding when the alleged incident took place, have not been made public. Castro played second base for the Yankees in 2016 and 2017.