Around the Empire: Yankees news - 6/4/23

NorthJersey.com | Pete Caldera: The Yankees may have lost the series opener against the Dodgers Friday night, but the contest saw Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson mark their returns from injury in emphatic style. Donaldson left the yard twice while Stanton homered and drew a walk to account for all four of the Bombers’ runs. While the Yankees offense began to turn things around in the month of May, consistent production from these two potent bats will go even further in lengthening the lineup.

MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: Just as the Yankees got back Stanton, Donaldson, and Tommy Kahnle from the IL, two more players take their place. Greg Allen was added to the 10-day IL with a right hip flexor strain suffered in Friday night’s loss while Ryan Weber heads to the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain and awaits the results of an MRI after feeling discomfort in his pitching elbow in his two innings of work against the Dodgers. New York called up Oswaldo Cabrera and Nick Martinez to replace them on the roster. With Harrison Bader also out injured, the Yankees will likely split center field duties between Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Aaron Judge, leaving Cabrera to fill the former’s utility role.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Luis Severino was nails in his first two starts of the season, holding opponents to just two earned runs in 11.1 innings, which made it so alarming to see him get torched for six runs in the first inning of Friday night’s game. Even more concerning was the fact that his fastball averaged 95 mph, 2.3 mph slower than its average velocity across his first two starts. For what it’s worth, neither player nor manager expressed concern over the diminished velocity, but it’s certainly worth monitoring in upcoming starts.

NJ Advance Media | Kevin Manahan: Just when it seemed like Bartolo Colon was finally ready to hang his cleats up, there may yet be some baseball life left in the 50 year old. Various reports indicate he is retiring for good — hell, the Mets are throwing him a retirement ceremony in August — yet according to representatives from his agency, he is not in fact retiring.

Big Sexy last pitched in MLB with the Rangers in 2018 while his most recent stint in professional baseball saw him make 11 starts for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League in 2021. The 2005 AL Cy Young winner resuscitated his career in the Bronx in 2011, pitching to a 4.00 ERA and 3.83 FIP with 135 strikeouts in 164.1 innings after spending most of 2006-10 battling injuries, ineffectiveness, and (by 2010 for sure) irrelevance. Earlier in 2023, we named that year among the 25 Most Surprising Seasons in Yankees History.