Around the Empire: Yankees news - 3/11/23

New York Post | Greg Joyce: On Thursday, we got news that Harrison Bader was dealing with some degree of an oblique strain, adding to the several pitchers that were also down with injuries. On Friday, Aaron Boone confirmed that the injury meant that it was likely that the injury will cause him to miss the start of the regular season. Opening Day is now just a couple weeks away, and it’s unlikely that Bader will be able to be good to go for March 30th.

Sports Illustrated | Pat Ragazzo: Due to the aforementioned pitching injuries, the Yankees went from having a competition between Clarke Schmidt and Domingo Germán for the fifth starter spot to needing them both in the rotation to open the year. Schmidt has had some ups and downs so far this spring, but he is ready to fill the void left due to Carlos Rodón’s injury.

NJ.com | Kevin Manahan: When Rodón does return, one group he’s eager to try and show off for is his former team, the White Sox. Chicago non-tendered Rodón after the 2020 season, and while he returned there for the 2021 season, it clear he saw the move as a “slap in the face.” He’s been an All-Star in both seasons since the non-tender, which allowed him to get his big deal with the Yankees this offseason.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: Luis Severino has struggled so far in spring training, but he’s pretty sure he knows the issue. Severino believes the issue is that he’s having trouble locating his slider, but that’s the pitch that typically takes the longest for him to get under his belt every spring.

MLB.com: In some nice news, the Yankees announced that “Hope Week” is set to return in 2023. Hope Week is one of the nicer things the team does, as it features them reaching out and honoring worthwhile people and organizations in the community.