It may have only been the middle of June, but 20-year-old Yankees pitching prospect Deivi Garcia showed Tuesday night that he knows how to win big games in style.

Garcia struck out 15 batters over six one-hit innings for the Double-A Trenton Thunder -- clinching a playoff spot with the win. The Thunder are the first-half division champions in the Eastern League, which automatically guarantees them a playoff spot at season's end.

Of the 18 batters Garcia got out Tuesday night, he struck out 15 of them -- a ridiculous 83.3 percent.

After years spent trying to get under the luxury tax and an offseason where they didn't pounce on Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said Tuesday that they are willing to go over the highest penalty luxury tax threshold if necessary in order to prove the 2019 team. 

That number is $246 million, with the Yankees roughly $15 million below it, according to Newsday's David Lennon. 

In need of starting rotation help, the Yankees were recently out-bid by the Braves for Dallas Keuchel, meaning they still have some wiggle room when it comes to potentially eclipsing the highest luxury tax figure this season.

The Yankees (45-27, lead AL East +2.5 games) are looking for a series sweep against the Rays (43-30, 2.5 games back in AL East) in a Wednesday matinee at 1:10 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees notes

In his return to the Yankees lineup for the first time since the opening series of the season, Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-4 against the Rays on Tuesday night. ...Edwin Encarnacion hammered his first homer of his Yankees career last night -- a bomb to right-center field to pad the Yankees' lead. ...The Yankees have won their last three games. ...Cameron Maybin continues to show off his power, hitting a home run in each of his last four games.

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

The Yankees beat the Rays, 6-3, at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Six takeaways from Tuesday's game

1) J.A. Happ managed to navigate five innings after enduring a rain delay of nearly one and a half hours. Happ allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out three batters and walking zero batters to move to 7-3 on the season.

The Yankees have been decimated by injuries this year, with roughly a dozen key players going down. Check back here for the latest updates on the walking wounded. 

10-day IL: Aaron Judge, Domingo German, Kendrys Morales

60-day IL: Jacoby Ellsbury, Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, Greg Bird, Jordan Montgomery, Miguel Andujar, Jonathan Loaisiga, Troy Tulowitzki

Giancarlo Stanton is back in the Yankees' lineup as the Bombers (44-27, 1.5 GA in AL East) host the Tampa Bay Rays (43-29, 1.5 GB in AL East) on Tuesday, at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Yankees notes

Edwin Encarnacion is batting sixth after going 0-for-4 in his Yankees debut on Monday. ...Cameron Maybin's home run on Monday marked the first time in his career he has homered in three consecutive games. He is hitting .364/.382/.697 with three home runs, four RBI and 10 runs scored in 10 games the month of June ... DJ LeMahieu hit his eighth home run on Monday and his .311 batting average leads all second baseman in the MLB. 

Another day, another power bat rejoins the Yankees lineup. 

After welcoming Edwin Encarnacion on Monday, the Yankees added Giancarlo Stanton back to the lineup, batting fifth and playing right field against the Rays, on Tuesday. 

It is Stanton's first game since March 31. 

The Yankees made it official on Tuesday, activating Giancarlo Stanton to join the team for the first time since the opening days of the 2019 season. And the corresponding move for his arrival was OF Mike Tauchman being sent back down to Triple-A, which was made last night following the win over the Rays. 

So two roster moves have been made for the Yankees, which includes Clint Frazier being sent down in correspondence with Edwin Encarnacion joining the team via trade. Now the final puzzle piece will be put into place when Aaron Judge is finally activated after rehabbing his oblique injury. 

But who will be purged to allow him room on the 25-man roster? 

Masahiro Tanaka struck out 10 batters in Monday's two-hit shutout over the Rays, increasing New York's lead in the AL East standings to 1.5 games.

Manager Aaron Boone called it a "big-time performance to kick off this series for us," and Tanaka dominated from the get-go.

He retired the first nine hitters he faced, the first hit he allowed an Austin Meadows fourth-inning single. He retired the last 10 batters he faced, needing 111 pitches for his first shutout since July 24, 2018 ... also against the Rays.

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

The Yankees rode Masahiro Tanaka's shutout as they beat the Rays 3-0 at Yankee Stadium on Monday. >> Box score

Four takeaways from Monday's game

1) Tanaka has dominated the Rays this season, and Monday's complete-game shutout came at a perfect time. Tanaka allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out 10 batters in what was his longest -- and by far his best -- outing of the season. As the Yankees' rotation has struggled for much of the last couple of weeks, Tanaka followed up James Paxton's solid effort and might slow down some of the doom and gloom thoughts about the current Yankees rotation.

The Yankees' trade for Edwin Encarnacion was certainly a surprise, but what may have been a bigger surprise was the demotion of Clint Frazier to Triple-A. 

Frazier vocalized his disappointment on Sunday, saying it was a "tough pill to swallow," and it raised many eyebrows as a possible precursor of a trade involving the 24-year-old outfielder. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman explained the rationale of demoting Frazier instead of Mike Tauchman or waiving Cameron Maybin in a conversation with Joel Sherman of The Post. 

The Yankees' acquisition of Edwin Encarnacion was fraught with analysis, hot takes and question marks. The number one thing that Yankees fans want to know is simple: How can Edwin Encarnacion help the Yankees this year?

Encarnacion has been around the block awhile at 36 years old, but that doesn't mean he's toast. In fact, quite the opposite. The right-handed slugger leads the American League in home runs this year with 21, and has more RBI than any member of the Yankees.

In fact, Encarnacion's dominance stretches back longer than some may realize. Nobody has more home runs this decade than Encarnacion (322), and nobody has more RBI (813) than him since 2012. 

The Yankees' lineup is on the verge of returning to full health. Let that sink in for a second, as you simultaneously look at their 43-27, AL East-leading record that shows how well they've persevered through the plethora of injuries that have plagued them all season. 

Giancarlo Stanton will be the latest Yankee to return on Tuesday, with Aaron Judge targeting a comeback at some point during this week's homestand. 

And if those power bats weren't enough, GM Brian Cashman added another slugger to the group in Edwin Encarnacion, the AL leader in homers (21) that the Mariners traded away during their sell-off.

The Yankees introduced yet another slugger to their lineup on Monday night, as Edwin Encarnacion addressed the New York media for the first time since his trade over from the Mariners. 

Seattle was selling off their top assets, and the Yankees jumped on the opportunity to add another big bat to their lineup. In turn, the 36-year-old Encarnacion finds himself in pinstripes, something he is very excited for considering he's going from worst in the AL West to first in the Al East.

"Definitely a surprise when it happened, but at the same time, I got super excited knowing that I was coming to this city," he said.

Edwin Encarnacion is making his Yankees debut as New York (43-27, 0.5 GA in AL East) begins a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays (43-28, 0.5 GB in AL East) on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees notes

The Yankees acquired Encarnacion, 36, in a trade with the Mariners over the weekend. In 65 games this year, he is slashing .241/.356/.531 with an American League-high 21 home runs. ... Yankees relievers have a 5.70 ERA in the month of June, which ranks 21st in the majors in that span. ... In seven games since returning from Tommy John surgery, shortstop Didi Gregorius is hitting .385/.407/.538 with one home run and three RBIs.

Doesn't look like Clint Frazier is taking his demotion very well. 

With Edwin Encarnacion joining the Yankees, the corresponding move was sending Frazier back down to Triple-A. Frazier admitted after the team's win that the demotion came as a surprise. 

"It's a tough pill to swallow," he told reporters. "It's never fun, especially with how much I've felt like I've contributed to this team."

With four days left in The Primaries for 2019 MLB All-Star Game voting, the Yankees are still represented very well. 

Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit are sitting in first for their respective positions. Sanchez is a lock for the final catcher vote with 1,357,340 votes, and James McCann -- his closest competition -- second with 580,394 votes. Voit is at the top with 696,164 votes compared to C.J. Cron's 586,303 votes in second place.

Just like the last update, Gio Urshela and DJ LeMahieu are also at the top of the list. Urshela, who many would view as a surprising vote, is second in third base voting behind Alex Bregman. The Astros' third baseman is well in the lead with 1.3 million votes compared to Urshela's 502,614 votes. 

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

Every Monday, we'll be taking a look at how the Yankees' top prospects (their MLB.com Yankees Top-30 rankings are in parenthesis) are faring.

Estevan Florial, OF, High-A Tampa (No. 1, MLB No. 47) -- ETA 2021

The Yankees are in need of starting pitching help -- especially a true ace who can help them navigate their way through October. Enter Max Scherzer?

While Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said the team isn't thinking about dealing Scherzer "right now," he didn't come close to shutting down the possibility of dealing his ace -- and even outlined what it would take for him to consider trading the 34-year-old.

After discussing how well-priced Scherzer is, Rizzo told the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal he "would have to command something that would be franchise-altering to consider moving him."

The Yankees optioned outfielder Clint Frazier to the minors to make room for Edwin Encarnacion.

Frazier, 24, was slashing .283/.330/.513 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs, taking on a starting role after the Yankees dealt with injuries to Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks in the first month of the season.

"It's a tough pill to swallow," Frazier told reporters after Sunday's game. "It's never fun, especially with how much I've felt like I've felt like I've contributed to this team."

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

The Yankees beat the White Sox 10-3 on Sunday to split the four-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

5 takeaways from Sunday's game

1) Yankees backup catcher Austin Romine drove in four runs with a two-run double and a two-run single, raising his season total to 15. Romine is now a career .290 hitter with runners in scoring position in 224 at-bats in such situations.

The Yankees are finally getting Giancarlo Stanton back in the lineup. 

Aaron Boone told reporters before their game against the White Sox on Sunday that Stanton will be activated on Tuesday. 

Stanton has had a whirlwind start to his 2019 season, with multiple injuries plaguing him. It started with a biceps strain on April 1 that put him on the IL to begin with, and during his rehab, a shoulder strain came about as well.

The Yankees (42-27, 0.5 game lead over Rays in AL East) try to make it two in a row in Chicago against the White Sox (34-35, 13.0 GB in AL Central) on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. 

Yankees notes

Mike Tauchman is playing for the third time in four days. He has one hit in five at-bats since rejoining the club Thursday. ... With the looming returns of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton from the injured list, along with the acquisition of Edwin Encarnacion on Saturday, Tauchman's days are numbered. It may also mean Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner will receive less playing time going forward, but both are in the starting lineup Sunday. ... Gleyber Torres has three multi-hit efforts in his last four games and has increased his slash line to .288/.340/.527 on the season. 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The first blush reaction to the Yankees' trade for slugger Edwin Encarnacion was that if felt like the first move in a trade to upgrade the rotation by moving Clint Frazier - but that is not the case, according to major league sources.

With this deal, the Yanks simply saw an opportunity to upgrade their offense, courtesy of Seattle's sell-off. They traded for Encarnacion without having any other deals lined up. It was simply an isolated opportunity that arose, and they seized.

A game-worn Babe Ruth Yankees jersey from the late 1920s became the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever on Saturday when it fetched $5.64 million during an auction at Yankee Stadium, according to the Associated Press. 

A Ruth jersey from 1920 held the previous record at $4,415,658, according to Hunt Auctions, which handled the sale. 

The Yankees snapped their three-game losing streak by beating the White Sox, 8-4, at Guaranteed Rate Field. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Saturday's game...

1) Yankees starters have performed poorly of late, but the club's opener, Chad Green, has been doing his part when he starts a game. Green struck out six batters, all six outs he generated in his two innings of work and allowed just a single. In Green's last 11.1 innings he's racked up 19 strikeouts, walked just one hitter and owns a 1.59 ERA.

The Yankees were already set to get a boost to the lineup when Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge return, and now the lineup will be even more potent.

The Yankees have acquired Edwin Encarnacion in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, sources confirmed to SNY Insider Andy Martino Saturday night before the Yankees announced the deal early Sunday.

Martino has also noted that this move makes it easier for the Yankees to now trade Clint Frazier for a starting pitcher, and that the team has been looking at Trevor Bauer and Marcus Stroman.

The Yankees (41-27, tied atop AL East) try to bounce back in Chicago against the White Sox (34-34, 12.0 GB in AL Central) on Saturday at 7:10 p.m.

Yankees notes

There will be a lot of pressure on the Yankees' bullpen Saturday with Chad Green starting as an "opener." The Yanks gave up 10 runs on Friday and have lost the first two games of this four-game set. ... Cameron Maybin comes back into the lineup with Gio Urshela going to the bench. DJ LeMahieu slides back to third. ... Over his last five games, Luke Voit is 6-for-18 with two homers, a double, five walks and six RBI. 

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge may well be on their way back to the Yankees lineup, but it is the Bombers' starting pitching that is in greater need of a jolt. 

CC Sabathia lasted just 4.2 innings in Friday night's 10-2 loss to the White Sox, allowing six runs -- five earned -- on 10 hits and three walks raising his ERA to 4.42 on the season. Sabathia is 0-3 with a 6.89 ERA with hitters batting .375 against him in his last three starts. 

The Yankees have now lost seven of their last 10 and have fallen out of first place in the AL East but manager Aaron Boone is not ready to sound the alarm bells just yet on his starting rotation. 

The Yankees fell to the White Sox 10-2 on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. >> Box score

Four takeaways from Friday's game...

1) CC Sabathia entered the night searching for his 250th career win, but it wasn't in the cards. Given an early 1-0 lead, Sabathia surrendered the lead right away in the first inning, as Eloy Jimenez lifted a three-run home run. On a night that the Yankees needed a longer outing from their starter, CC went just 4.2 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits while striking out just three.

The Yankees (41-26, 0.5 GA in AL East) play their second of four games in Chicago against the White Sox (33-34, 12.0 GB in AL Central) on Friday at 8:10 p.m.

Yankees notes

Brett Gardner has now hit three home runs in his last four games. ... Clint Frazier, who is back in right field on Friday for the Yankees, is hitting .395 with runners in scoring position this season. ... With two hits on Thursday, Didi Gregorius is now 8-18 since returning from Tommy John surgery.

For the first time this season, the Yankees are inching towards full health. With the impending returns of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees' lineup will finally be maximized at full strength.

However, because Judge and Stanton are obviously everyday players, that means that a roster shakeup is in order. How will the Yankees manage their roster with their two All-Stars returning to the lineup?

The College World Series begins this weekend in Omaha, Neb., and it will feature 60 MLB draft picks among the eight teams remaining in the tournament. 

The picks range from as high as the fourth overall pick -- Vanderbilt's JJ Bleday (Marlins) -- to 36th-rounder Shay Smiddy (Rays) of Louisville. None of these 60 picks have signed with their respective teams, though, because they cannot do so until their college season is over.

The Mets have two of their draft picks still playing in Omaha. Here is who to watch:

The Yankees squandered a four-run lead and lost to the White Sox, 5-4, at Guaranteed Rate Field.>> Box score

5 takeaways from Thursday's game...

1) J.A. Happ cruised through the first three innings, ran into trouble in the fourth, but got out of it unscathed. The fifth inning was where it all came undone for Happ as he allowed four runs, highlighted by Tim Anderson's three-run homer. Yankees starters having become completely unreliable and it is adversely affecting the rest of the club by making relievers work harder and the offense press to score more runs than should be necessary to win games.

Nearly 71 years after his passing, Babe Ruth could be on the brink of another record.

A game-worn Ruth jersey from the late 1920s is set to be auctioned off at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, and it is expected to set a new record as the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. The current record is for a different Ruth jersey.

"There was one sold some years ago that is currently the world record, and that's just around $4.5 million," David Hunt, the president of Hunt Auctions, told NBC News. 

The Yankees (41-25, 0.5 game lead in AL East) head to Chicago to begin a four-game series with the White Sox (32-34, 12 GB in AL Central) Thursday at 8:10 p.m.

Yankees notes

This marks the Yankees' final road series before they head to London at the end of the month to face the Red Sox. They have a 10-game home stand after this series. ... DJ LeMahieu starts at third base, with Gio Urshela on the bench. ... With runners in scoring position this season, LeMahieu is hitting .474 (27-for-57) with a homer, three doubles, 32 RBI and four walks. ... Mike Tauchman, who was called up on Thursday, draws the start in right field.

The Yankees placed designated hitter Kendrys Morales on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain on Thursday.

The 35-year-old Morales, who joined the Yankees on the heels of losing Greg Bird, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for extended periods of time, was hitting .177/.320/.242 with one home run and five RBIs in 19 games since joining New York.

The Yankees are expected to have Stanton and Judge return from the IL soon, as Stanton has hit four home runs in the past three games of a rehab assignment, while Judge is expected to begin a rehab stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre over the weekend.

The Yankees just can't catch a break when it comes to their starting rotation. 

Domingo German, who was surprisingly one of the best rotation arms, hit the IL with a hip flexor strain last week. He was the latest starter to hit the list that has had the likes of James Paxton and CC Sabathia on it. Luis Severino has been a mainstay as well, suffering a lat strain that moved him to the 60-day IL. 

The Yankees know they need to add help to makeup for these losses, and potential ones down the road. Many believed Dallas Keuchel would choose to wear pinstripes this season, but the Braves beat out their bid in the end. 

The Tigers are officially open for business.

Can the Yankees use Detroit's position as sellers with the trade deadline six weeks away to their advantage? Perhaps. 

According to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi, the Tigers are willing to deal any veteran on the roster. That includes Matthew Boyd, who is currently in the midst of his strongest season in the big leagues. 

Next month, Mariano Rivera will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as the only player to receive a unanimous vote. 

The former Yankees closer hopes to have company in that category as soon as next year when his teammate, Derek Jeter, is eligible on the ballot. 

"I am not the person to [decide] that. But to me, if he goes in, to me he's unanimous in my book," Rivera told SNY on Tuesday at an event for eBay. "To me, Derek is a special guy, special teammate, special athlete. He always gives his best and that's what this is about. The rest, the writers and those who have the vote have the power to do that. To me, he's 100 percent unanimous."

A month before he is inducted into Cooperstown, Mariano Rivera will make his Yankees return.

The legendary closer, who became the first player in MLB history to be unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame, will participate in his first Old-Timers' Day on June 23.

Jerry Hairston Jr., who helped the Yankees win the World Series in 2009, and Jason Grimsley, a key reliever for the '99 and 2000 World Series champions, will also make their Old-Timers' Day debuts.

John Harper, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Only a few days after refusing to budge on Dallas Keuchel's asking price, Yankees brass had to recoil in horror watching James Paxton get lit up in the Subway Series, as a troubling question hovers over an otherwise feel-good season in the Bronx.

That is, does this team have an ace?

Paxton's left knee problem, which cost him three weeks on the Injured List, seems to be impacting the quality of his stuff, judging by his performance Tuesday night.

During Tuesday's Subway Series doubleheader, Yankees first baseman Luke Voit crushed a three-run homer off Zack Wheeler in the opener. In the nightcap, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso smoked a three-run homer off James Paxton.

Voit, the 28-year-old third-year player who came out of nowhere and is now entrenched as the Yankees' starting first baseman, is hitting .263/.380/.504 with 16 homers, eight doubles, and 44 RBI in 64 games this season (287 plate appearances). 

Alonso, the 24-year-old rookie whose 2018 minor league breakout now pales in comparison to his big league eruption, is hitting .254/.337/.596 with 22 homers, 12 doubles and 49 RBI in 66 games this season (273 plate appearances).

After some shotty outfield play against the Red Sox, Clint Frazier didn't do himself any justice by avoiding the media that same night. But, while Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn't approve of Frazier's actions, he's liked his answer to the critics on the field. 

Frazier said last week, "I don't owe an apology for not talking," following his ducking of the media. Many criticized that move, noting that it is normally the Yankee way to own up to mistakes and get them out of the way. 

Cashman was on WFAN radio Monday, and discussed the "turbulence" Frazier created for himself. But he wasn't too fazed by it due to his bat staying hot through all the noise...

The Yankees were unable to complete the doubleheader sweep, falling the in second game to the Mets on Tuesday 10-4. >> Box score

5 takeaways from Tuesday's game...

1) James Paxton did not pitch well for the second consecutive start. He has yet to pitch more than five innings since coming off the IL on May 29 (albeit he was on a strict pitch count his first start back) and this time he could not even make it out of the third, lasting just 2.2 innings and allowing six earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out just one. His ERA has skyrocketed to 4.04. 

The Yankees love Zack Wheeler because, well, what team in need of pitching wouldn't? 

His stuff is among the best in the league, and he has finally learned how to be consistent.

The Yanks have soured a bit on Noah Syndergaard, who they pursued over the winter, and toward Wheeler. They would love to pry him from the Mets and dump Clint Frazier -- and none of that changed after Wheeler's dud in Game 1 of Tuesday's Subway doubleheader.

The Yankees (41-24, 0.5 game lead in AL East) take on the Mets (32-34, 5.5 GB in NL East) for Game 2 of the Subway Series doubleheader on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. 

Yankees notes

The Yankees won the opener of the doubleheader, 12-5, behind the bats of Luke Voit and Gio Urshela. ... Voit went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and now has 16 on the season. Urshela, went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a two-run home run, his fifth of the season. ... Gary Sanchez also continued his hot-hitting, blasting his team-leading 20th home run and driving in three on the day. 

Dellin Betances' road back to game action has hit another speed bump. 

On Monday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that the team had their "fingers crossed" that Betances' setback in Tampa was nothing serious, but Aaron Boone announced to reporters on Tuesday that the right-hander has a "low-grade lat strain" and the team will shut him down for "a couple weeks."

Betances threw 25 pitches on May 30th, but after feeling pain in his shoulder/lat area, the 31-year-old traveled to New York on Monday for further evaluation. He was set to officially being his rehab assignment in Tampa soon, but now everything has been pushed back.

The Yankees beat the Indians, 7-6 in extra-innings, and avoided being swept at Progressive Field. >> Box score

Seven takeaways from Sunday's game...

1) Cameron Maybin and Aaron Hicks hit doubles in the top of the 10th inning to give the Yankees the lead for the third time in the game. Maybin has been a fine addition to the club and Hicks has been hitting the ball with authority in the last handful of games