Even if the year began with some lower expectations, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is making sure that's not the case anymore. 

With the team contending in the middle of a playoff race, Steinbrenner made clear that he expects the team to make the postseason this year. 

"If we don't make the playoffs," Steinbrenner said at owners meetings in Chicago, according to MLB.com, "it's a failure. Any year, any year. That's just the mindset for us."

Didi Gregorius came through with a two-run double in the seventh to give the Yankees the lead for good, as they beat the Mets, 5-3, on Wednesday night at Citi Field. >> box score

Making his third start since being traded to the Yankees, Jaime Garcia was charged with three runs on five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

The Yankees fell behind early but quickly tied things up in the second on Garrett Cooper's ground out. In the fourth Aaron Judge hit a home run into the third deck in left field for his AL-leading 37th roundtripper. 

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge smashed a home run into the third deck at Citi Field during Wednesday's game against the Mets. 

The New York Yankees (63-55) play the third game of a four-game series with the New York Mets (53-64) at Citi Field on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia threw a 25-pitch bullpen session at Citi Field on Wednesday and told reporters that he feels ready to pitch against the Red Sox this Saturday. 

Aroldis Chapman is still the Yankees' closer but will be unavailable on Wednesday as he has tests on his hamstring, manager Joe Girardi told reporters.

Chapman tweaked his hamstring while running on the final play of the team's 5-4 win over the Mets on Tuesday, according to the YES Network.

Chapman said after the game that the hamstring injury "is nothing to worry about," according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, but Girardi said in the post-game press conference that the team will "see where he is tomorrow."

Gary Sanchez and Jacoby Ellsbury each homered off Mets starter Jacob deGrom and Sonny Gray finally got enough run support as the Yankees beat the Mets, 5-4, for the second straight day. >> Box score

The New York Yankees (62-55) play the second game of a four-game series with the New York Mets (53-63) at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

The Yankees have placed RHP Luis Cessa on the 10-day DL with a ribcage injury, and recalled LHP Caleb Smith from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Cessa started in place of RHP Masahiro Tanaka, who is on the 10-day DL himself with right shoulder inflammation. In the fifth inning, he felt discomfort in his upper back, and manager Joe Girardi knew he had to end his night. 

"When I was facing [Rene] Rivera in the fifth, I felt a little bit of discomfort, but I thought I could keep pitching," Cessa told The Post's Fred Kerber.  "Then Girardi came out and said, 'Let me take you out. I don't want you to do something wrong mechanically and get hurt even more.' That's when I was taken out of the game."

Smith has appeared in three games -- two of them starts -- with the Yankees this season. His last start came on July 29 where he earned a no-decision against the Rays. He allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four and walking three in 3 1/3 innings. 

Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton has cleared waivers and is eligible to be traded to any team, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.

Passan notes that four teams have already reached out the Marlins about trading for Stanton, with one of those teams exchanging player names with the Marlins before a potential trade prior to the July 31 non-waiver deadline fizzled.

One of the teams that has received information on what it would take to trade for Stanton is the Giants, with a team source telling Passan the Marlins were willing to absorb "limited money via other major leaguers' contracts" as part of a potential deal.

The Yankees defeated the Mets in the first game of the Subway Series.

Elsewhere, the schedule for the upcoming NBA season was released, and Matt Forte is nearing a return for the Jets. 

New York Yankees RHP Luis Cessa will undergo an MRI after leaving Monday's game in the fifth inning with a back injury, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Cessa injured his right rhomboid and left the game accompanied by a trainer with one out in the fifth inning.

Cessa visibly grimaced after Juan Lagares fouled off Cessa's 64th pitch of the night, which resulted in manager Joe Girardi visiting the mound with a trainer. Two pitches later, after Lagares singled, and Girardi removed Cessa from the game.

Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez each hit solo home runs to power the New York Yankees to a 4-2 win over the Mets on Monday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hicks crushed Hansel Robles' 1-1 fastball to deep right field to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Sanchez added an insurance run later in the inning with a solo home run off Erik Goeddel.

The Yankees trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Judge slugged his American League-leading 36th home run of the season, his second in the month of August, to tie the game.

The New York Yankees (61-55) begin a four-game series with the New York Mets (53-62) at Yankee Stadium on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

New York Yankees designated hitter Matt Holliday and first baseman Greg Bird both took batting practice on the field prior to Monday's game against the Mets.

Holliday, who last played Aug. 4 due to a lower back strain, is hitting .229/.319/.430 with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs this season. He told NJ.com's Brendan Kuty he wasn't sure how much longer he would need to be on the disabled list.

Bird, who has been out since May 1 and underwent ankle surgery nearly a month ago, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday and could return later in August.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV:

"Remove Aroldis Chapman as the Yankees' closer" is the latest cry from the team's fans and even some in the media after the flame thrower allowed a game-tying homer in the ninth inning and then put the go-ahead run on base in the 10th inning of Sunday night's loss to the Red Sox.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi can be overly stringent in his bullpen usage, consistently turning to the same formula day in and day out. The writing on the wall should tell the skipper that a change could do the Yankees some good, especially when Girardi can turn to an established closer now on the roster. If administered a truth serum, Girardi might very well feel the same way as those clamoring for a change.

Except, it's not that simple. Consider these factors.

The Yankees suffered their league-leading 20th blown save of the season losing to the Red Sox, 3-2, in 10 innings on Sunday night. 

Elsewhere, the Jets won their first preseason game and the Mets completed a series win against the Phillies. 

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts during Sunday night's loss to the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. 

During the three-game series against Boston, Judge struck out six times in 10 at-bats. 

"In my first at-bat, I got a walk off Sale. The next two at-bats he struck me out, but he throws two [different] sliders on the corner, he paints a fastball in, he throws a fastball up," Judge told reporters after the game. "You're battling and it's grinding, but I feel good at the plate."

Tommy Kahnle allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Andrew Benintendi in the top of the 10th inning after Aroldis Chapman blew a one-run lead in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees lost their second straight game to the Boston Red Sox, 3-2, Sunday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

After the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on Todd Frazier's sac fly, Chapman surrendered a game-tying solo home run to Red Sox 20-year-old rookie Rafael Devers in the top of the ninth.

In the top of the 10th, Chapman hit Jackie Bradley Jr. and walked Eduardo Nunez with one out before he was pulled in favor of Kahnle, who walked Mookie Betts and gave up Benintendi's RBI single.

New York Yankees RHP Luis Cessa will start Monday's game against the New York Mets after the team promoted LHP Caleb Smith when RHP Masahiro Tanaka went on the disabled list, manager Joe Girardi told Newsday's Anthony Rieber.

Cessa, who last appeared in a game on July 30 and started July 18, has a 4.83 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings across nine appearances (four starts) for the Yankees this season.

The Yankees promoted Smith from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and optioned RHP Giovanny Gallegos prior to Sunday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Smith is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in three appearances (two starts) for the Yankees this season. In the minors, he is 9-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 19 games (17 starts).

Tanaka, who was initially scheduled to start Monday, went on the DL due to shoulder inflammation.

New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird will begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday as he looks to return from an ankle injury that has kept him out several months, according to WFAN's Sweeny Murti.

Bird, who underwent ankle surgery on July 18, has been shut down since May 1. He participated in batting practice and light running last Tuesday when the Yankees were in Toronto to play the Blue Jays.

The 24-year-old Bird, who missed 2016 due to a shoulder injury, was hitting .100 with one home run and three RBIs in 19 games prior to going on the disabled list.

The New York Yankees (61-54) wrap up their three-game series with the Boston Red Sox (66-50) on Sunday at 8:08 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Gary Sanchez's two-run homer in the first inning gave the Yankees an early 2-0 lead, but Andrew Benintendi hit two home runs off Luis Severino to help power the Red Sox to a 10-5 win on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Yankees starting pitcher LHP Jordan Montgomery is 'Ok' after being struck in the head by a ball during batting practice Saturday, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. 

Montgomery was signing autographs when he was struck with a line drive from Red Sox C Sandy Leon on the right side of his head. He was helped into the dugout by the Yankees' bullpen catcher as he held a towel on his head. He was then escorted into the clubhouse.

The 24-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as LHP CC Sabathia went on the 10-day DL with a right knee injury. He is set to start against the Red Sox on Sunday. 

Montgomery is 7-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 21 games this season for the Yankees. 

The New York Yankees (61-53) play the second game of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (65-50) on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have announced they placed RHP Masahiro Tanaka on the 10-day DL with right shoulder inflammation. 

There had been no talk about Tanaka feeling any pain in his shoulder prior to the team's announcement. YES Network's Meredith Marakovits said Tanaka felt "general soreness" and fatigue in his arm toward the end of his last outing against the Blue Jays.

He was inconsistent in his last start where he allowed three runs, two earned on just two hits. He threw 88 pitches in that span while walking five batters. 

The Yankees put together a five-run eighth inning to defeat the Red Sox, 5-4, in the first game of a three-game set.

The New York Yankees (60-53) open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (65-49) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Miami Marlins owner, Jeffrey Loria, has agreed to sell his team to the group involving former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. 

Loria will sell the franchise for $1.2 billion to the group comprised of about 16 investors. Bruce Sherman, who was the former chairman of Private Captial Management, will have the majority control over the franchise with Jeter having the say in baseball and business sides of the organizaiton. 

The agreement is expected to be completed Friday, and sent to the MLB offices in New York for review. Officials are not expected to vote on the purchase at an owners meeting in Chicago next week, but it will be a topic to discuss. The closing of the deal is expected to be completed by October. 

The New York Yankees placed LHP CC Sabathia on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 9 due to right knee inflammation and recalled LHP Jordan Montgomery from the minors to take his spot in the rotation.

New York also activated first baseman Tyler Austin from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Sabathia left Tuesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays after the third inning when he said he injured his knee and couldn't continue to pitch. An MRI revealed earlier this week that Sabathia did not suffer any new damage to his right knee, on which he had surgery last October.

Montgomery, a 24-year-old rookie who was optioned to the minors to make room for Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia, will start Sunday night against the Red Sox in place of Sabathia, who is 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 19 starts this year.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

Our weekly minor league report canvases the Yankees farm system, providing updates about the status of the teams in action and the organization's top prospects.

Notes: Top-30 prospect rankings (via MLBPipeline.com) are club based with overall MLB ranks, if applicable, in parenthesis. Prospects currently in the major leagues will not be covered here. Team records and statistics are through games played Aug. 3, 2017, unless otherwise noted.

The Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position Thursday, as their offense didn't plate a single run in a 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

Elsewhere, the Mets dominate the Phillies with four homers, the Knicks and the Rockets are resuming trade talks involving Carmelo Anthony and Matt Harvey will begin a rehab assignment in Brooklyn 

Sonny Gray limited the Blue Jays to two earned runs in six innings, but the Yankees provided no run support in a 4-0 shutout loss on Thursday at the Rogers Centre

CC Sabathia is "probably doubtful" for his next start, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on WFAN on Thursday.

"We want to sit down and see him tomorrow face to face before we really make any decisions (about his next start)," Girardi said while adding that Jordan Montgomery would likely start in his place if he is unable to pitch.

The Yankees (60-52) will play the final game of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays (53-60) on Wednesday at Rogers Centre at 7:07 p.m. 

The Yankees have expressed interest in trading for Mets INF Neil Walker, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Curtis Granderson all cleared waivers earlier this month and are eligible to be traded.

The Mets were in talks with the Yankees regarding a potential trade for Jay Bruce, but opted to instead trade Bruce to the Indians on Wednesday night.

The Yankees have placed Clint Frazier on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain and have reactivated Aaron Hicks, the team announced. 

Frazier was penciled into the lineup Wednesday against the Blue Jays but was a late scratch because of the injury. He said he'd been experiencing pain over the past few days, but it came to a head during batting practice. 

The Mets were in deep discussions with the Yankees regarding OF Jay Bruce before dealing Bruce to the Cleveland Indians for pitching prospect Ryder Ryan, according to multiple reports. 

As part of the deal, Cleveland will pay the rest of the money owed to Bruce this season. 

The Yankees were on Bruce's no-trade list, but he was reportedly willing to waive it if a deal was reached.

The Yankees collected 17 hits on their way to an 11-5 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto. 

Elsewhere, the Mets traded away Jay Bruce, Carmelo Anthony will not waive his no-trade clause for New Orleans and the Nets will play two games in Mexico City next season. 

The Yankees rebounded after Tuesday's loss and slugged their way to an 11-5 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night in Toronto. >> Box score

Masahiro Tanaka didn't have his best stuff, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on two hits and five walks in just four innings pitched. Chad Green picked up the win but gave up two runs in 1 1/3 innings.

But the Yankees got the offense clicking in the second inning when Gary Sanchez and Todd Frazier blasted back-to-back homers. Didi Gregorius added a solo homer a frame later, while Frazier added a two-run double in the fifth. Jacoby Ellsbury would follow with an RBI double of his own. 

The Yankees (59-52) play the second game of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays (53-59) on Wednesday at Rogers Centre at 7:07 p.m. 

The Yankees and the rest of Major League Baseball will have nicknames on the backs of special jerseys during "Players Weekend" from Aug. 25-27 as the team plays the Marniners at Yankee Stadium.

The jerseys will feature "Yankees" written across the front with grey caps also being worn.

Click below for images

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees have endured several stretches in 2017 without key players due to injury. They have played without Greg Bird (87 games missed through Tuesday), Starlin Castro (29 games missed; two separate stints on the disabled list) and Aaron Hicks (38 games missed) for significantly long periods.

Each of the players are working on getting back to the club, but which one will have the biggest impact as the Yankees push for a postseason berth?

CC Sabathia allowed four runs in the first three innings as the Yankees fell, 4-2, to the Blue Jays on Tuesday. 

Elsewhere, the Mets slug three home runs in a win against the Rangers, the Knicks sign veteran forward Michael Beasley and Matt Harvey expects to make a rehab start "in a week or so". 

The Yankees (59-51) begin a four-game set on the road with the Toronto Blue Jays (52-59) on Tuesday at Rogers Centre at 7:07 p.m. 

Yankees 2B Starlin Castro and 1B Greg Bird continued their rehab with the team at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Tuesday. 

According to Newsday's Erik Boland, both players participated in batting practice and light running hours before gametime. 

Castro is expected to begin running the bases when the Yankees return home to face the Red Sox. He was placed on the disabled list for the second time in July due to a hamstring injury. He last played on July 21.