Around the Empire: Yankees news - 9/15/22

CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: Aaron Judge’s home run chase is well documented and has been getting the majority of the league-wide coverage, but his latest hot streak has opened up the possibility of a second historic chase — that of a Triple Crown. The only area where Judge is even reasonably contested is batting average, where he sat in fourth entering play yesterday, and it’s certainly feasible with the amount of time left in the season should he continue to swing a scorching hot bat and his competition slumps a little.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Harrison Bader has heard about the buzz surrounding his deal to the Yankees and the immediate success that Jordan Montgomery has had in St. Louis, but as the speedy center fielder approaches an MLB return he’s only focused on what he can bring to his new club. Bader, who has told reporters that he is fully healthy despite some discomfort in his right foot, is getting into some rehab games in the Yankees’ minor league system and should be nearing a return as the team arrives home from their current road trip. We’ll get to see what a difference he makes then, and hopefully it’ll be a good one.

ESPN | Jesse Rogers: The Yankees have dealt with an unbalanced lineup for years, and made strides to fix it this season. Unfortunately, injuries have forced them once again into a right-hander heavy scenario — and the offense has been in a scuffle ever since. Getting the ship right now helps, but it’ll be in the postseason where it truly gets tested, and that could be a cause for concern. Last year’s World Series featured the two best teams with left-handed hitting, and that’s a trend that’s expected to continue this year.

MLB.com | Brian McGrath: Nestor Cortes is a treat to watch pitch, both because he gets excellent results and also because he comes up with some truly funky deliveries on the mound. Cortes found a brand new one to pull out in an at-bat late in Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox, completely fooling Rafael Devers to secure the strikeout.