Around the Empire: Yankees news - 10/15/22

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Before Game 2, Aaron Boone gave a slew of updates on some injured Yankees. Ron Marinaccio, Frankie Montas, and Andrew Benintendi have all apparently returned to the team’s development complex in Tampa to continue their rehab with the hope that all three could be activated in time for the ALCS, should the Yankees get there. A healthy Marinaccio and Benintendi both have the potential to be huge additions to the team. Montas, on the other hand... Well, the jury’s still out on him. As for everyone’s favorite robot, DJ LeMahieu, apparently he is not dealing with a fracture after all, but rather an injured toe ligament. (Why is it so hard for the Yankees to be transparent when it comes to injuries? This and more at 11.) He’s still with the team in Cleveland and going through baseball activities in the hopes that he can re-join the squad in the ALCS.

SI.com | Max Goodman: Even though Kyle Higashioka ended the season on a bit of a heater, Boone has stuck with Jose Trevino as his starter through the first two games of the ALDS. Entering the postseason, there was some question as to whether Boone would stick with Trevino, who took New York by storm before spurting in the second half, or pivot to Higashioka, who started off painfully slow but put together a strong second half, for the starting catcher duty. Apparently, Boone still views Trevino as 1A and Higashioka as 1B, but for now it sounds like Trevino will continue to get the nod. He didn’t say as much, but I have a feeling they’re comfortable trading offense for quite possibly the best defensive catcher in the game this season. We’ll see if any changes are made after a second straight hitless game from Trevino — though, remember, he did have a huge sac fly in Game 1 — but I wouldn’t hold my breath on a change coming any time soon.

MLB.com | Betelhem Ashame: Since coming to New York, Harrison Bader has done nothing but be the best defensive center fielder this team has seen in a long time. He’s also taken a page out of Aaron Judge’s playbook and has said the exact right thing every step of the way, endearing himself to Yankees fans extremely quickly. In Game 1, Bader hit a massive home run — both in terms of game script (it tied the game in the third inning) and physical attributes (the ball came off the bat at 109mph and travelled 406 feet). It was the first time in Yankees history that a player’s first home run with the team came in the postseason. After the game, Bader talked about how much the home run meant to him and how exciting it was to receive the response he received from the Bronx crowd. Bader has quickly become a must-listen interview and is an easy player to root for, so hopefully there are more of these moments in his immediate future.

SI.com | Mike Fisher: With the postseason in full swing and the Yankees coming off a mind-numbingly frustrating performance in Game 2, I know what is front of mind for everyone: The whereabouts of Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball. Turns out, the dude who caught it hired a lawyer to help him explore his options, including the potential sale of the ball. This is clearly pressing news and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what he does with it.