Around the Empire: Yankees news - 7/29/23

The Ringer | Zak Kram: The good news — in fact, the great news — is that Aaron Judge is back in the Yankees’ lineup. After missing almost two months with a toe injury, the Yankee captain returned in last night’s game facing the Orioles. Every team in baseball would be better by adding Judge to the offense, and New York’s lackluster lineup benefits more than most. Still, for all his talent, he is just one player, and there’s a limit to how far he can carry this team, especially with just two months left on the MLB calendar.

NJ.com | Max Goodman: The trade deadline looms on the other side of this Os series, and with several moves already made by other teams, the question of what the Yankees will do only grows. The team is still looking up at the rest of the AL East, and seem to be straddling the line between seller and buyer. They need outfield help but don’t have as much financial flexibility as you’d like, given the desire to reset the CBT threshold this year. Creativity is necessary to make any real impact moves in the next week.

New York Post | Gary Phillips: After being one of the highlights of last year’s relief corps, 2023 has been more of a struggle for Ron Marinaccio. The righty has battled mechanical hitches throughout the year, leading to inconsistent delivery. When he’s right, he’s much better than his seasonal 4.33 ERA would indicate, but the Yankees need to find a way to keep him right if they want him to be a real weapon down the stretch.

CBS Sports | RJ Anderson: Willie Calhoun came off the IL yesterday and was immediately DFA’d, clearing a roster spot in a possible trade deadline signal. Calhoun strained his quad on June 22, after hitting .239/.309/.403 as one of the several outfielders tasked with replacing Aaron Judge.