While the Yankees will be without injured ace Luis Severino for a while longer, he took a big step on Wednesday toward a return, throwing on flat ground. 

Severino had been shut down since March 5, and GM Brian Cashman announced last Friday that the best-case scenario for Severino would be a May return -- confirming the timeline an orthopedic surgeon gave SNY earlier this month. 

The 25-year-old Severino does not have any structural damage in his shoulder, but he is basically re-starting his Spring Training as the team prepares for Opening Day in just over a week. 

The Yankees head to West Palm Beach to take on the Astros on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m.

Yankees notes

The Yankees continue their experiment with using an opener as Jonathan Holder gets the start. ... Both Luke Voit and Greg Bird are in the lineup as their battle to be the starting first baseman continues. ... Clint Frazier starts in right field a day after starting in left. ... Gary Sanchez is behind the plate for the second straight day.

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As his free agency dragged into mid-March, Gio Gonzalez chose the Yankees because, well, he had nowhere else to go.

The veteran lefty told reporters Wedneday morning that the deal he accepted with the Yankees is the only offer he received. Gonzalez's one-year, minor-league deal carries a base salary of $3 million and he can earn $300,000 for every MLB start, with a maximum possible value of $12 million.

"They gave me something I couldn't turn down," Gonzalez said, per MLB.com. "I was like, 'Let's do this. Let's go to work.' I can't be ungrateful. This is a pretty great opportunity."

Mike Trout and Alex Bregman may have been the latest players to secure long-term extensions on Tuesday, but for Didi Gregorius and Dellin Betances, they will have to wait. 

According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are "nowhere close" to a deal with either player despite interest in extending both of them earlier this spring, as SNY's Andy Martino reported. 

The two players, who are both eligible for free agency after the season, were thought to be next in line for extensions after the Yankees struck team-friendly deals with Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks at the start of Spring Training. 

Dellin Betances' difficult Spring Training ended on a sour note. 

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday the reliever will begin the season on the Injured List. Betances struggled with his fastball velocity throughout camp, and he was officially diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement and inflammation after undergoing an MRI. 

His rehab will consist of anti-inflammatory medicine and rest. He will be shut down from throwing for at least three days. 

Luis Cessa was stellar once again while Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez lead the Yankees to another Spring Training win in a 6-2 victory over the Rays. >> Box Score

Things to know about Tuesday's game...

1) The Yankees decided to experiment with an opener against the team that lived by them all last season. Chad Green did allow one run on two hits while striking out one before handing the ball over. 

Aaron Hicks had a second cortisone shot in his back over the weekend, and he declared himself pain-free Tuesday. 

The next step for the outfielder, who has already ruled himself out for Opening Day next week, told reporters the next step in his rehab process will be to take swings without any pain. 

After Hicks' first cortisone shot, the pain dissipated but returned when he started taking cuts again. This time around, he wants to be sure that same issue won't repeat itself. 

So now we know Mike Trout, baseball's first $400 million man, almost certainly won't ever be bringing his talents to the Bronx, and in a sort-of-related matter, Aaron Judge is currently sporting a rather insane 1.061 slugging percentage in the Grapefruit League, hitting extra-base rockets all over Florida. 

How is it related? Well, with Trout agreeing to a 12-year, $430 million contract extension with the Angels, it's only natural to ask: when do the Yankees lock up Judge?

I'd say the sooner the better, before he wins the AL MVP award in 2019 and his price begins to climb toward Trout territory.

On the morning after Derek Jeter announced his retirement during spring training of 2014, I happened to be in Angels camp in Tempe, Arizona. At that time, a manufactured storyline was going around that Mike Trout could replace Jeter as the "face of baseball."

As Trout fielded questions about this topic, he was affable, engaging -- and clearly uninterested in being anything other than a great ballplayer for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He was more goofy younger brother than international celebrity, and that seemed fine.

The news on Tuesday morning of Trout's 12-year, $430 million agreement with the Angels, first reported by ESPN, closed off any remaining chance that Trout can ever rise above niche recognition from hardcore baseball fans.

The Yankees passed on signing Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, and never got the chance to lure Nolan Arenado to the Bronx. They're also not going to have a chance to pitch the best player in baseball on the idea of putting on the Pinstripes.

Mike Trout, who had been due to hit the free agent market after the 2020 season, has agreed to a 12-year deal worth $430 million to remain with the Angels, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. 

His deal averages out to $35.83 million, and eclipses Harper's as the biggest in the history of North American sports. 

Gio Gonzalez could be in line for quite the payday with the Yankees. 

Nearing a Minor League deal with the club, the left-hander will have a base salary of $3 million. After that, he can earn $300,000 per start, with a maximum total of $12 million this season, per Jon Heyman. 

Gio: 3M base milb deal, 300k per start. 12M Max. #yankees

Tags: CC Sabathia, Luis Severino

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The Yankees will face the Rays on Tuesday at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Yankees notes

Chad Green gets the start as the Yankees experiment with using an opener. ... For the second straight day, the Yankees are rolling out a typical top-four of the lineup, with Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez getting things started. ... Clint Frazier starts in left field, while Greg Bird gets the nod at first base. 

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The Yankees will be without Aaron Hicks for at least the opening series of the regular season due to back stiffness that has required two cortisone shots. With back issues, reducing the pain while getting up to game speed is difficult and can often linger well beyond the original diagnosis.

The Yankees will have to make a decision on who will take the newly vacant roster spot and they have two choices: Clint Frazier or Tyler Wade.

Which player makes the most sense?

The Rays were one of the teams at the forefront of the "opener" phenomenon in baseball, in which a reliever starts the game and gives way to a parade of relievers the remainder of the contest. 

On Tuesday, the Yankees will use the tactic against Tampa Bay in a Spring Training exhibition at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Reliever Chad Green will start for New York, while Luis Cessa, who normally operates as a starter, will be available out of the bullpen. 

Green was a starter during his junior season at Louisville in 2013 and for his first three seasons in the Minor Leagues. The right-hander has made nine starts for the Yankees in his career. Meanwhile, Cessa has started 19 games, with 24 relief appearances.  

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Yankees needed starting pitching depth, especially after learning last week they will be without injured ace Luis Severino until at least May.

And while we can file the signing of veteran lefty Gio Gonzalez into the "why not" category, we can also look at recent history and see it as unlikely that Gonzalez will be much help.

Masahiro Tanaka threw five solid innings and Luke Voit hit his fourth home run of the spring as the Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 7-4 on Monday in a Grapefruit League game at Champion Stadium.

Things to know about Monday's game

1) Tanaka struck out seven batters and allowed one run, two hits and two walks in five innings, lowering his spring training ERA to 3.00. The lone run he allowed came on a Nick Markakis solo homer.

2) Voit hit a solo homer in the second inning off Braves RHP Bryse Wilson that gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead, and Ryan Lavarnway added a two-run single later in the inning that made it 3-0.

The Yankees are nearing a deal with free-agent LHP Gio Gonzalez, SNY.tv's Andy Martino confirmed.

New York would sign Gonzalez, 33, to a minor-league contract worth $3 million should he reach the majors, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Gonzalez's contract, according to Rosenthal, also contains an opt-out clause for April 20 should he not be on the MLB roster by then and additional incentives for games pitched.

Yankees prospect Estevan Florial will wear a cast for "a few weeks," according to Aaron Boone, after suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist during Saturday's game.

An MRI revealed that there is more damage than initially known from X-rays, but it won't affect Florial's timetable.

"He had a second little fracture in there, which, in the grand scheme of things, is inconsequential because it heals along with the other one," Boone told reporters on Monday. "It's very similar. It should be - I think from a prognosis, it's very similar from what we anticipated, after getting all the images and after seeing the hand specialist."

The question surrounding Jacoby Ellsbury for some time now has been will he ever play for the Yankees again? 

But with Ellsbury finally healthy enough for some baseball activities and reporting to Yankees camp, the question has actually become when will he play for the Yankees again?

"As far as a timeline of when I'll be playing, we're not sure yet," Ellsbury told reporters on Monday. "But definitely headed in the right direction."

The 35-year-old missed the entire 2018 season because of injuries. He initially suffered an oblique strain in spring training last year and while rehabbing suffered a hip injury. After undergoing hip surgery in August, an old plantar fasciitis issue resurfaced and delayed his 2019 return.

The Yankees head to Disney to take on the Braves at 6:05 p.m. on Monday.

Yankees notes

Masahiro Tanaka makes his penultimate Spring Training start before taking the hill on Opening Day. ... The Yanks are rolling out a strong top-four Monday with Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit, who continues his bid to win the first-base job.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is hopeful RHP Dellin Betances can build his arm strength back up with a week and a half remaining until Opening Day.

"I do think he's healthy and fine, it just taking him a while to find the arm strength," Boone said, according to the New York Daily News' Kristie Ackert, after Betances pitched in a Grapefruit League game Sunday for the first time in a week. "Talking to him again today, he kind of said it feels akin to what he feels basically every spring training early, but just hasn't broken through yet. He was efficient with his pitches, threw strikes today. Had a nice, easy inning. Hopefully this next week,10 days he can start to find that arm strength and build on it a little bit."

Aaron Hicks revealed Sunday his sore back will cause him to miss Opening Day and begin the season on the Injured List. 

But Hicks' injury has left manager Aaron Boone and Yankees management with a conundrum regarding the entire construction of the roster.

Several factors will play into who ultimately sees the bulk of reps in Hicks' absence, including how many pitchers the team decides to roster on Opening Day and whether Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade are worthy of possibly seeing significant playing time in the outfield, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. 

The Yankees' offense stayed hot with three home runs and New York pulled away late to secure a 7-3 victory over the Phillies on Sunday at Spectrum Field in Clearwater. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Sunday's game

1. James Paxton turned in 4 1/3 hitless innings, but allowed one earned run on two walks with four strikeouts. The lefty lowered his Grapefruit League ERA to 1.54.

The Yankees' regulars flexed their muscles in Sunday's 5-3 split squad win over the Orioles. >> Box Score

Five things to know about Sunday's game...

1) Luke Voit crushed a two-run home run in the first inning, his third of the spring, as he looks to secure his spot as the starting first baseman on Opening Day.

The Yankees' interest in free agent pitcher Gio Gonzalez has evolved into an offer, but a gap still remains between the two sides, according to Jon Heyman. 

While the two sides remain apart, Heyman added there remains optimism a deal could still get done. 

Gonzalez, 33, is one of the top remaining free agents available with less than two weeks until the start of the season and would give the Yankees some depth as they prepare to begin the season with ace Luis Severino on the injured list. 

The Yankees split up on Sunday and have a good chunk of their major-league talent going against Jerad Eickhoff and the Phillies at 1:05 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla. 

Yankees notes

Greg Bird will bat third and get the start at first base against the Phillies as he carries a .344/.488/.542 spring slash line while he makes his case to be on the Opening Day roster. ... DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki will bat 1-2 while Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez are the other Yankees' regulars in the split-squad game. 

The other half of the Yankees split squad head to Sarasota, Fla. on Sunday to take on the Orioles at 1:05 p.m. 

Yankees notes

Luke Voit will bat third and play first base while his competition does the same in the Yankees' other split-squad game. Voit has been productive so far, hitting .286/.394/.536 with two home runs and eight RBI in 33 plate appearances. ... Miguel Andujar returns to the lineup after getting Saturday off and Clint Frazier is batting cleanup.  

Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks has officially declared himself out for Opening Day. 

The 29-year-old told ESPN's Coley Harvey that he received a second cortisone shot for his lower back injury on Sunday but expects to return for the Bombers' second series against the Tigers on April 1. 

GM Brian Cashman cast doubt on the possibility of Hicks being ready by Opening Day on Friday, saying that the outfielder would probably need some more at-bats before he can re-join the team by then. 

CC Sabathia took the next step toward a return to the Yankees' rotation on Saturday, throwing his first simulated game of the spring after previously having thrown bullpen sessions.

Sabathia is working his way back from a heart procedure and knee surgery. He won't be ready for Opening Day -- and must serve a five-game suspension to begin the season -- but his trajectory seems to put him in line for a mid-April return.

The veteran lefty threw 32 pitches on Field 2 while facing DJ LeMahieu, Troy Tulowitzki and Kyle Holder. 

Estevan Florial, ranked as the Yankees' top prospect by MLB Pipeline entering 2019, suffered a non-displaced right wrist fracture on Saturday, as revealed by X-rays, according to the Yankees. Florial was sent for X-rays after a hard collision with the outfield wall during Saturday's game.

Aaron Boone initially described the X-rays as precautionary. The Yankees said Florial will undergo further testing on Monday.

The Yankees displayed their power for the second straight day, bursting for 17 runs in a 17-7 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. >> Box Score

Five things to know about Saturday's game...

1) Aaron Judge is absolutely locked in at the plate. The Yankees' slugger crushed his sixth home run of the spring -- which leads the majors in Spring Training - and did it while the Blue Jays aligned their outfield with four outfielders. He finished 1-for-2. 

The Toronto Blue Jays tried to get creative to slow down Aaron Judge on Saturday by using four outfielders in their defensive alignment. 

It turns out it does not really matter how many outfielders you use when the Yankees' slugger is at the plate. 

Judge responded by hitting a towering shot over the wall that left the premise of George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday. 

J.A. Happ toes the rubber for the Yankees as they face Thomas Pannone and the Blue Jays at 1:05 p.m. at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Yankees notes

Aaron Judge hit his team-leading fifth home run on Friday, which is also tied for the league this spring, and is hitting .321 (9-for-28) with a 1.406 .OPS this spring. ... Clint Frazier is back in the lineup batting seventh as he tries to make his case for the team but is hitting just .167 (5-for-30) with two extra-base hits. 

As the Yankees ponder whether to fill the early-season holes left by Luis Severino and CC Sabathia with in-house options or to add a veteran starter, they're linked with one free agent in particular.

Jon Heyman reported Friday that the Yankees "maintain some interest" in lefty Gio Gonzalez, though there are no signs that a deal is imminent. 

Severino will miss the first month of the season with rotator cuff inflammation while the start of Sabathia's season will be slightly delayed because of a five-game suspension he has to serve and his recovery from a heart procedure and knee surgery.

Nearly one month later, Jacob Carpenter's mind hasn't changed.

The "Machado Kid" who went viral in SNY's video of his reaction to Manny Machado signing with the Padres is still glad that the star infielder didn't end up with the Yankees.

"I'm definitely happy that Machado did not sign," Carpenter said while he was an in-studio guest on Baseball Night in New York.

Many wondered all offseason if the Yankees were going to pony up to sign either Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, and CC Sabathia admitted there was a degree of surprise that the Yanks didn't add one of the stars. But ultimately, Sabathia believes the Yanks will be just fine without them.

"A little bit (surprised,) but we didn't need either one of them," Sabathia said on WFAN's CMB program Friday. "We've got a really good right fielder, we've got a really, really good third baseman. So I think we're fine. I think if we needed those guys it'd be a different story, but I think our team is set the way it is. It's good."

The Yankees' bats exploded on Friday in a 14-1 win over the Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. >> Box Score

Five things to know about Friday's game...

1) Aaron Judge seems ready for Opening Day. The Yankees slugger smashed his fifth home run of Spring Training, a three-run shot to right-center field, and finished the day 2-for-2 with a double. 

With Opening Day less than two weeks away and Luis Severino officially out until May, the Yankees have a major decision to make on how to handle their starting rotation. 

Manager Aaron Boone has announced Masahiro Tanaka as the Opening Day starter, followed by James Paxton and J.A. Happ, but after that still remains a mystery. 

CC Sabathia is also not expected back until mid-April, but because of the off days built into the Yankees' schedule, they really only need one spot starter to fill the void until Severino returns. 

The Yankees are going to be without their ace for at least the first month of the season. 

General manager Brian Cashman announced on Friday that the best-case scenario for Luis Severino would be for a May return, confirming what an orthopedic surgeon told SNY earlier this month. 

Severino, 25, is still in the midst of his two-week shutdown period after feeling soreness in his shoulder and would have to start his throwing from scratch once he resumes. 

Domingo German and the Yankees face Hector Velazquez and the Boston Red Sox in a Grapefruit League game on Friday at 1:05 p.m. at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Yankees notes

Aaron Judge leads the Yankees with four home runs in spring training. ... Both Luke Voit and Greg Bird have thrived this spring as they battle for a spot on the 25-man roster. Voit has a .280/.400/.520 batting line with two home runs and six RBIs in 10 games, while Bird is slashing .357/.471/.571 with one home run and six RBIs in 12 games.

When we think of a club's overall success, it typically and rightfully relies upon the performance of the starters. However, the production from the bench players is of great importance understanding there will be injuries and performance issues along the way.

The Yankees have a couple of players considered locks to make the Opening Day roster as bench options, a handful of potential choices for the final spot on the bench and a long shot to be among the reserves late in the season.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will earn $684,300 this season.

The Home Run Derby champion, based on the new deal the MLB and MLB Players Association reached, will receive $1 million.

Yet Judge, the 2017 champion who didn't want to defend his crown in 2018, doesn't think the money means he'll compete in it again.

Luis Cessa is making it very hard for manager Aaron Boone to solidify his rotation after yet another stellar outing on Thursday. 

Cessa went a strong four innings, allowing no runs and just two hits and a walk while collecting three strikouts against the Blue Jays. The walk was Cessa's first this spring, and his ERA fell even further to 0.69 over 13 spring innings. 

"I thought his two-seam fastball was really good again, which is really encouraging," Boone told NorthJersey.com's Pete Caldera about Cessa latest outing.

It was a pitcher's duel in Dunedin on Thursday afternoon, as the Yankees and Blue Jays ended up in a 1-1 tie at the end of nine innings. >> Box Score

Five things to know about Thursday's game...

1) Luis Cessa is making it hard for the Yankees to leave him off their 25-man roster when camp breaks after another solid start. He didn't allow a run and only two hits over four innings. While moving his ERA to 0.69 this spring, he collected three strikeouts as well.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's desire for more action and less dead time in baseball is at the heart of the rules changes that were announced on Thursday, and with that in mind, here are the three I believe are most noteworthy:

1) The three-batter minimum for relievers, which goes into effect in 2020, and makes for intriguing strategy decisions as well as fewer late-inning pitching changes.

2) A 28-man September roster, as of 2020, which will finally bring an end to the ridiculous practice of essentially having unlimited substitutions in the final month of the season.

The MLB and the MLB Players Association announced an agreement on Thursday that includes changes to the rosters, game play and the All-Star voting process over the next two years.

In 2019, the changes include:

• The elimination of August trades, meaning July 31 will be sole MLB trade deadline.
• The maximum number of mound visits per team will be reduced from six to five.

The Yankees face the Toronto Blue Jays in a Grapefruit League game on Thursday at 1 p.m. on the road.

Yankees notes

Miguel Andujar leads the team with 12 hits this spring. ... DJ LeMahieu is 5-for-27 with a .185/.241/.259 batting line. ... Estevan Florial has a .346/.393/.538 batting line with one home run and four RBIs in 11 games.

Bryce Harper's late spring with the Phillies continued on Wednesday against the Yankees, and after an 0-for-2 performance, he clarified that the team never reached out to him during his free agency tour. 

Before Harper even hit free agency, it was expected the Yankees would be at the top of the heap to land the prolific star. However, they made a trade with the Marlins last offseason to land NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, which all but shut the door on that notion. 

Growing up a Yankees fan or not, Harper admitted GM Brian Cashman never called him.

The Yankees had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, but instead their spring game against the Phillies ended in a 5-5 tie on Wednesday night in Tampa. >> Box Score

Five things to know about Wednesday's game...

1) Giancarlo Stanton enjoyed another solid night at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer for an RBI and run scored. His slugging partner in Aaron Judge didn't though, as he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.