Around the Empire: Yankees News - 6/2/23

ESPN: We got reports that the Yankees were going to be bringing along Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Tommy Kahnle in the hopes of playing them against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now, it’s official. The Yankees have activated all three players from the injured list. The questions regarding those three players mainly involve Stanton only playing in one rehab game. However, Aaron Boone said he wasn’t concerned and added that it’s likely Stanton will be the DH for the next couple of weeks. Check out the PSA staff post for more.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: With the activation of those three players, that means there needs to be room made on the roster. So the Yankees sent down Franchy Cordero, Matt Krook, and the biggest of the three is the struggling switch-hitting outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera. It felt inevitable that this was going to happen, as Cabrera just hasn’t been the kind of hitter anyone expected him to be coming into this season. However, the hope is that he will find his swing in Triple-A and return to the Yankees lineup with a pop when another opportunity to crops up for the versatile utilityman.

Also of note from Joyce in a separate Post article is that the long-injured Frankie Montas has begun a throwing program. He had been shut down for 14 weeks after arthroscopic shoulder surgery on February 21st. The 2022 trade deadline acquisition has a long rehab road ahead of him but is hopeful for an August/September return.

MLB.com: It might only be the start of June but Phase 1 of MLB All-Star Game voting has begun! You can vote for Aaron Judge and company up until June 22nd, when finalists will be chosen for Phase 2; that will last from June 26th until the 29th, though the top vote-getter in each league will automatically earn a starting spot (as Judge did last year). The All-Star Game will be at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on July 11th.

The Yankees on the ballot are:

C Jose Trevino
1B Anthony Rizzo
2B Gleyber Torres
SS Anthony Volpe
3B DJ LeMahieu
OF Aaron Judge
OF Harrison Bader
OF Oswaldo Cabrera
DH Giancarlo Stanton

CBS Sports: Kole Calhoun has decided to use the opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Yankees to become a free agent. The Yankees have two days to add him to the roster or release him, the latter of the two being far more likely considering the reactivation of the players above. Calhoun has been excellent with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, with Jon Morosi making a note that Calhoun made a swing change which is helping him produce his .291/.396/.547 triple slash in 22 games.