CC Sabathia limited the Twins to two runs in six innings, Brett Gardner had three hits and two RBIs, and the Yankees won the second game of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

The Yankees have again reshuffled the rotation as they make a final push towards improving their position in the postseason.

RHP Luis Severino, slated to start on Friday, will instead pitch on short rest on Wednesday against the Blue Jays. RHP Masahiro Tanaka was originally scheduled to start on Wednesday for New York.

The Yankees (83-67) play the second game of a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins (78-72) on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

With Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton in range to eclipse Yankees great Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961, Roger Maris Jr. is watching intently. 

Maris' record has been broken before with Barry Bonds belting 73 homers in 2001, and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa each breaking it three times in their career. However, all three players were on steroids, and in Maris Jr.'s mind, it doesn't count. 

If Stanton breaks his father's record, it will be the real deal which is why he is following the Marlins' slugger as the season comes to a close...

Yankees starter RHP Masahiro Tanaka wouldn't mind being passed up for Luis Severino if the team makes the Wild Card round. 

Severino has been the clear ace of the Yankees this season, but Tanaka has looked much better and has experience pitching in the 2015 Wild Card game against the Astros. But Tanaka doesn't mind if Severino is chosen to start in the potential game because he believes he has earned it. 

"I wouldn't be disappointed. It's not something that's been decided yet," Tanaka told The Daily News through a translator. "But if Sevy were to pitch the wild-card game, I don't think anybody would have anything against that, just considering how he's pitched. And considering that it's a do-or-die game, you always want to get the best pitcher out there that can givev the team the best chance to win. No one would be against if Sevy goes out there pitching in that game."

Aaron Judge hit his American League-leading 44th home run of the season while Todd Frazier hit a go-ahead sac fly in the sixth inning as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on Monday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Frazier broke a 1-1 tie by hitting a bases-loaded sac fly with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning after Ervin Santana intentionally walked Jacoby Ellsbury as the Yankees expanded their wild-card lead to five games.

David Robertson (9-2) and the rest of the Yankees bullpen combined to throw 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after Jaime Garcia pitched into the sixth inning. Aroldis Chapman pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth inning and followed that with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save of the season.

The Yankees (82-67) begin a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins (78-71) on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez hit the Statcast home runs, but Didi Gregorius is the pulse of the New York Yankees.

It is amazing to think how far Gregorius has come since taking over for Yankees icon Derek Jeter at shortstop. He had yet to play a full MLB season when he arrived in New York, and there was a good deal of talk about Gregorius' inability to hit left-handed pitching. After his first month in the Bronx, the concerns that he could be a long-term solution grew.

Gregorius slowly silenced critics after the 2015 season's opening month, and turned them into avid supporters in 2016. This season, despite missing 24 games, Gregorius is snapping or within reach of personal bests in multiple offensive categories. He has produced FanGraphs WAR values of 3.1, 2.6 and 3.9 (and counting) since 2015.

Gregorius, who turns 28 just before next season, has two years left of arbitration before reaching free agency, which begs the question. Should the Yankees try to sign Gregorius to a long-term deal this offseason?

Sonny Gray allowed five runs and the Yankees were unable to overcome an early deficit in a 6-4 loss to the Orioles on Sunday. >> Box score

The Yankees (82-66) play the final game of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (72-77) on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees have changed the order of their starting rotation ahead of their upcoming series with the Twins beginning on Monday, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

LHP CC Sabathia, who was slated to start on Sunday, will instead pitch on Tuesday because the Yankees want him to avoid the turf in Toronto, Hoch reports. Instead, RHP Sonny Gray will pitch on Sunday and Jaime Garcia will pitch on Monday. 

Luis Severino will not pitch in the series with the Twins, who he has yet to face in his career. Severino's last start was on Friday, while Jordan Montgomery pitched for the Yankees on Saturday.

The Yankees hit three home runs and Jordan Montgomery tossed six scoreless innings en route to a 9-3 win over the Orioles on Saturday. >> Box score

The Yankees (81-66) play the third game of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (72-76) on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

RHP Adam Warren (back) will throw on flat ground this Saturday afternoon and is still hopeful of returning from the disabled list by the end of the season, according to MLB's Bryan Hoch.

Warren was placed on the disabled list on September 6 (retroactive to September 3) and was given no timetable to return. 

INF Miguel Andujar and RHP Jonathan Holder were recalled from Triple-A prior to Saturday's game against the Orioles.

Andujar's only game at the major league level came back in June when the third baseman recorded three hits and four RBI in four at-bats. He also registered a stolen base. 

The Indians lost to the Royals, 4-3, snapping their 22-game win streak. 

Edwin Encarnacion put the Indians on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. However, Alcides Escobar launched a solo homer in the top of the second to tie things up at one apiece.

In the bottom of the third, Jose Ramirez lift a ball over the left field fence for a twon-run homer, giving the Indians a 3-1 lead. But the Royals would strike for three unanswered runs.

Yankees SS Didi Gregorius notched four RBI while starter Luis Severino picked up his 13th win of the season as the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 8-2.>> Box score

Hall of Famer and MLB Network analyst Pedro Martinez believes Yankees starter RHP Luis Severino could be a potential Cy Young candidate next season. 

Severino has been the Yankees' ace this season, and Martinez thinks his stuff is as good as anyone in the MLB. 

"Severino is as rich when it comes to stuff, to poise, to makeup, to pitch in the big leagues as anybody," Martinez told Newsday's Neil Best. 

The Yankees (80-66) play the second game of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (72-75) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

The Red Sox have been fined an undisclosed amount (which will be donated to Florida hurricane relief efforts) by MLB for using an Apple watch in an effort to steal signs from the Yankees, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Friday.

"In assessing the significance of this violation, the investigation established three relevant points," Manfred said in a statement. "First, the violation in question occurred without the knowledge of ownership or front office personnel. Second, when the Red Sox learned of the Yankees' complaint, they immediately halted the conduct in question and then cooperated completely in my investigation. I have received absolute assurances from the Red Sox that there will be no future violations of this type. Third, our investigation revealed that Clubs have employed various strategies to decode signs that do not violate our rules. The Red Sox' strategy violated our rules because of the use of an electronic device."

After the Yankees complained to MLB about the Red Sox stealing signs, Boston alleged that the Yankees pointed a YES Network camera at Red Sox bench coach Gary DiSarcina during their recent series at Yankee Stadiium. Olney reports that the Red Sox were aware of the camera from previous games and moved DiSarcina to a different spot that wouldn't pick up his signals. 

Yankees 3B Todd Frazier is not in Friday night's lineup against the Orioles due to back tightness, manager Joe Girardi told reporters.

Frazier is available off the bench and is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday, according to Girardi.

The 31-year-old Frazier is hitting .226/.373/.432 with nine HR and 27 RBI in 52 games for the Yankees since being acquired from the White Sox earlier this summer.

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. This week we will briefly cover the playoff results at each level. We will also examine seasonal results and outlooks for 2018 with the club's No. 10 through No. 6 prospects.

Triple-A - International League North Division - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Record: 86-55, 1st place, 6.5 GA

The RailRiders won the International League North Division regular season title. The RailRiders dispatched of Lehigh Valley in the division series. Scranton is down 2-1 to Durham in the best-of-five International League Governors' Cup Championship Series.

Aaron Judge had two home runs to back up Masahiro Tanaka's strong outing to lead the Yankees to a 13-5 win over the Orioles on Thursday. >> Box score

Jay Bruce's walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning on Thursday secured a 3-2 win over the Royals to extend the team's winning streak to 22 games.

Their 22 straight wins are an American League record, and the second-longest winning streak ever, four games shy of the 1916 Giants, who won 26 straight games. That streak includes an unofficial tie that happened after their 12th straight win. The tie was called due to rain after nine innings with the score tied, 1-1.

The Indians trailed 2-1 in the ninth inning on Thursday, but Francisco Lindor tied the game when he hit a two-out RBI double with two strikes. It marked the first extra-inning win during the team's three-week-long winning streak.

"This was probably the toughest one we've had," Bruce said after the game, according to the AP. "Nothing like it, nothing like it."

The Yankees (79-66) will play the first game of a four-game set against the Orioles (72-74) at Yankee Stadium on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

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

It's time to take the kid gloves off the Yankees' offense.

As aggressive as Yankees manager Joe Girardi has been with the team's pitching staff -- quick hooks of starters and extended appearances for relievers -- he's been overly passive with constructing his lineup. Days off and handedness platooning has to -- pardon the pun -- be put to rest.

With 17 games left on the schedule and a three-game deficit in the American League East, the Yankees cannot afford to be sitting their best hitters down the stretch. The importance to winning the division, which is well within reach, cannot be understated.

As the Yankees remain in the thick of the American League East and Wild Card races, Joe Girardi believes it is now even more important to make key decisions in regard to his pitching staff.

With two outs in the fifth and Jaime Garcia in line for a victory on Wednesday against the Rays, Girardi pulled the left-hander in favor of Chad Green. Even after Garcia left the field with some visible anger, the move paid off, as Green got Evan Longoria to fly out to end the frame. 

"I went up to him and told him, 'I understand if you're mad at me. I get it,'" Girardi told reporters. "If it's days after, that when there's an issue. I was happy he didn't want to come out. ... I think that early in the season, I probably would have left him in. June, I probably would have. July, I probably would have left him in. But you start to get to this point in the season and you have to make some personal sacrifices."

Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier took note of a fan's disapproval and made sure to imitate it when he had the chance. 

On Monday, Frazier belted a three-run homer at Citi Field, and what appeared to be a Tampa Bay Rays fan gave a thumbs down after seeing the third baseman round the bases. 

Shohei Otani will leave Japan after this season, as he will be posted this winter in hopes of playing in the majors in 2018, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

Otani can be posted in November, when teams will have four days to bid on him with their international signing bonus pool. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman scouted Otani in late August, per the NY Post's George A. King III.

"He's definitely intriguing,'' manager Joe Girardi told reporters Wednesday. "Obviously, I haven't really seen him. But you hear reports on him."

Jaime Garcia allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings and the Yankees' bullpen bent but didn't break as they beat the Rays, 3-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field. >> Box score

The Yankees scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.

Todd Frazier's RBI single made it 1-0, and Brett Gardner's single later in the inning drove in a pair.

The Indians beat the Tigers, 5-3, on Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland to win their 21st straight game.

Their 21 straight wins are an American League record, and the longest winning streak in baseball since the Cubs won 21 straight games in 1935.

Before the Indians, the last team to win 20 or more straight games was the Athletics in 2002. Their streak ended at 20. 

The 1916 New York Giants hold the record for the longest winning streak ever, with 26. That streak includes an unofficial tie that happened after their 12th straight win. The tie was called due to rain after nine innings with the score tied, 1-1.

The Yankees will recognize the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl XLII Champion Giants this Saturday, it was announced.

Over 40 members of the Giants' championship team will be part of a pregame ceremony that will take place prior to the Yankees' 4:05 p.m. game. against the Orioles.

"The Yankees and the Steinbrenner family look forward to welcoming the New York Football Giants and the Mara and Tisch families back to Yankee Stadium," Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost said in a press release. "This is a unique opportunity to highlight the 10-year anniversary of the Giants historic 2007 Super Bowl run. To have so many of the players here in this setting - and to celebrate their remarkable accomplishment - will make for a special and entertaining day."

Due to Hurricane Irma, the New York Yankees (78-66) will play the final game of a three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays (72-73) at Citi Field on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. ET

Sonny Gray pitched eight strong innings, but the Yankees' offense was only able to generate one run in a 2-1 loss to the Rays at Citi Field on Tuesday. >> Box score

Due to Hurricane Irma, the New York Yankees (78-65) will play the second game of a three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays (71-73) at Citi Field on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. ET

New York Yankees first baseman Greg Bird (back spasms) felt better on Tuesday and expects to return to the lineup on Wednesday, reports Erik Boland of Newsday.

Bird is currently day-to-day, manager Joe Girardi told reporters after Monday's 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Citi Field.

Bird was a late scratch from Monday's lineup with back soreness and was replaced by Tyler Austin.

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

Some believe that Yankees manager Joe Girardi's strength lay with his manipulation of the bullpen. Others contend that Girardi doesn't have a clue when it comes to reading the tea leaves, rather relying too strictly to analytics. At this moment, I'm sitting on the fence, but surprisingly leaning in favor of Girardi's current seemingly-manic decisions.

As a playoff berth continues to look like a strong possibility for the Yankees, Girardi is managing his bullpen with what feels like reckless abandon one day and fierce competitiveness the next. This isn't exactly surprising to me, as Girardi's use of the bullpen this season has been erratic, often bordering on defying logic.

The Yankees open the 2018 season on Thursday, March 29 against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto, it was announced on Tuesday.

The home opener will be held on Monday, April 2 against the Rays to kick off a six-game homestand. The Yankees longest home stretch will be 10 games from April 16-26. 

Interleague games against the Mets will take place June 8-10 at Citi Field and July 20-22 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees face the N.L. East in interleague play, hosting the Marlins (April 16-17), Nationals (June 12-13), and Mets (July 20-22), and traveling to Philadelphia to face the Phillies (June 25-27) while also traveling to Miami, Washington D.C., and across the city to Citi Field for series on the road. 

Due to Hurricane Irma, the Yankees (as the road team) opened a three-game series against the Rays at Citi Field on Monday night -- a series that was originally scheduled to be played in Tampa Bay.

The Yankees won, 5-1, with pitcher Dellin Betances saying after the game that it was a "weird" experience.

"It is weird," Betances said, according to ESPN. "Obviously, coming into the stadium, you see all the workers who have Mets gear on. Then when you look outside and you see the Rays. It is kind of different."

Todd Frazier's three-run home run capped the Yankees' five-run fourth inning as New York beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Monday in a game played at Citi Field due to Hurricane Irma. >> Box score

After Matt Holliday reached on Trevor Plouffe's error that allowed Gary Sanchez to score and Jacoby Ellsbury reached on catcher's interference, Frazier hit Jake Odorizzi's 3-2 offering over the left-field fence to give the Yankees a four-run lead.

CC Sabathia didn't make it past the fifth inning, but David Robertson struck out four batters in 2 2/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees won for the seventh time in their last nine games.

Due to Hurricane Irma, the New York Yankees (77-65) will begin their three-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays (71-73) at Citi Field on Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET

Due to Hurricane Irma, the Yankees open a three-game series against the Rays at Citi Field on Monday night -- a series that was originally scheduled to be played in Tampa Bay.

The series is being held at Citi Field -- and not a neutral ballpark in Baltimore or elsewhere -- because there weren't enough quality hotel rooms at the other potential sites.

While it's an oddity to have the Yankees (who will be the road team for the series) playing at the Mets' ballpark without the Mets there, it's happened before. 

On April 15, 1998, after a beam collapsed at the original Yankee Stadium, the Yankees and Angels played one game at Shea Stadium.

The Yankees have announced that OF Clint Frazier has been reinstated from the 10-day DL after rehabbing an oblique injury. 

Frazier was on a rehab assignment with Double-A Trenton, where he went 2-for-17 including 10 strikeouts. 

The 22-year-old rookie, who has not played since Aug. 9, has a .243/.274/.477 batting line with four home runs and 17 RBIs since he made his MLB debut on July 1.

While he entered the year among the top 40 prospects by Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, Frazier hit .256/.344/.473 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.

Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez each hit two home runs on Sunday while Didi Gregorius went 4-for-4 with four RBIs as the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 16-7 on Sunday at Globe Life Park in Arlington. >> Box score

Judge became the second rookie in MLB history to hit 40 home runs in a season by hitting his first home run as part of New York's six-run fourth inning that gave the Yankees a 9-1 lead. He hit his 41st home run of the season two innings later.

Sanchez homered in the first and eighth innings, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Since returning from his three-game suspension, he is 6-for-12 with four RBIs.

The Yankees took advantage of the Rangers' bullpen as they scored late to win 3-1 in the second game of the series. >> Box score

The Yankees have signed Dominican shortstop Ronny Rojas for $1 million, per Baseball America's Ben Badler. 

Rojas is the No. 11 international prospect in Baseball America's top 50 rankings. He was eligible for the Yankees to sign after he turned 16 on Aug. 23. The 6-foot, 170-pound shortstop is a switch hitter.

The Yankees have now signed four players within the international top 50, including Venezuelan OF Everson Pereira, Venezuelan SS Roberton Chirinos, and Dominican OF Anthony Garcia. 

Yankees SS Didi Gregorius is ready to play after fouling a ball off his right calf against the Rangers Friday night, per The Post's George A. King III. 

Gregorius caught a foul ball off his calf in the eighth inning, and while he was in clear pain walking it off, he finished his at-bat with a groundout. However, he was taken out of the game and replaced by Ronald Torreyes at shortstop in the ninth. 

After the game, Gregorius made it clear that he will play Saturday afternoon. 

Yankees starter RHP Masahiro Tanaka suffered his first loss in four starts as the Yanks lost, 11-5, in the series opener against the Rangers.>> Box score

The Yankees' series against the Rays that will take place this coming Monday through Wednesday has been shifted from Tampa Bay to Citi Field due to Hurricane Irma, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The games will take place at 7:10 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Yankees will be the 'road' team for the series.

The series was shifted to Citi Field instead of Baltimore or another neutral site due to hotel issues, a source told Rosenthal.