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 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, Giancarlo Stanton, Domingo German, Kendrys Morales

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

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

The David Ortiz shooting on Sunday night shocked the baseball world, and for Mariano Rivera, it was hard for him to hear the news. 

The former Yankees closer, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame next month, said that he is praying for the former Red Sox slugger. 

"My reaction was, 'God, I just want him to have another opportunity. I want him to be safe," he told SNY on Tuesday at an event for eBay. 

The Yankees (40-24, T-1st in AL East) take on the Mets (32-33, 5.0 GB in NL East) in the first game of a two-game Subway Series on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees notes

Over his last 13 games, Gleyber Torres is hitting just .196 with two home runs and seven RBI. ... Luke Voit, currently the leading vote-getter among American League first basemen for the All-Star game, is slashing .308/.400/.538 with two home runs and four RBIs over his last 10 games. ... The Yankees' bullpen has the third-worst ERA (6.59) in June, while the Mets' 8.05 bullpen ERA is the highest in that span.

Yankees first-round draft pick Anthony Volpe called the opportunity to play for the team he grew up rooting for a dream come true.

"It was definitely surreal," Volpe told YES Network's Meredith Marakovits after signing with the Yankees on Monday. "I've dreamed about being a New York Yankee since I was little, and just for it all to come to fruition today, I still don't think it's hit me, but it's pretty awesome."

The Yankees drafted the 18-year-old Volpe, a shortstop for Delbarton Prep in New Jersey, 30th overall last Monday and signed him to a $2.74 million bonus, according to YES Network's Jack Curry, which is above his $2.37 million slot.

Monday's Subway Series game between the Mets and Yankees has been postponed due to inclement weather. 

The teams will make the game up as part of a split doubleheader on Tuesday, with the first game beginning at 1:05 p.m. while the second game will remain at 7:05 p.m. 

The Yankees will keep RHP Masahiro Tanaka (3-5, 3.42 ERA) on the mound for Game 1 while the Mets will have RHP Zack Wheeler (5-3, 4.61 ERA) pitch. LHP Jason Vargas (2-3, 3.57 ERA) will pitch Game 2 for the Mets while the Yankees will have LHP James Paxton (3-2, 3.11 ERA) make his scheduled start. 

The list of players who have played for both Subway Series teams goes from A-Z, David Aardsma to Todd Zeile. 

In total, 135 players have played for both the Yankees and Mets in their careers.

Some notable names: Robinson Cano, Bartolo Colon, Carlos Beltran, Todd Frazier and David Cone.

While the Yankees and Mets meet in the Subway Series this week, there could be the potential for a showdown of New York sluggers in the Home Run Derby. 

While Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has gone on record that he would participate, Yankees first baseman Luke Voit will be right there with him. 

After finding out he was leading the primary voting for American League first baseman on Monday, Voit was beaming when asked if he would compete in the Home Run Derby. 

The Yankees (40-24, T-1st in AL East) take on the Mets (32-33, 5.0 GB in NL East) in the first game of a two-game Subway Series on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees notes

Over his last 13 games, Gleyber Torres is hitting just .196 with two home runs and seven RBI. ... Luke Voit, currently the leading vote-getter among American League first basemen for the All-Star game, is slashing .308/.400/.538 with two home runs and four RBIs over his last 10 games. ... The Yankees' bullpen has the third-worst ERA (6.59) in June, while the Mets' 8.05 bullpen ERA is the highest in that span.

It has been 22 years since the Yankees hosted the Mets in the first-ever regular season game between the crosstown rivals. The two teams have played 118 games since then (not including the 2000 World Series), with the Yankees leading the all-time series 69 to 49.

Here are the five best moments from the last two decades-plus...

May 20, 2006: Yankees rally against Wagner at Shea

With the 2019 MLB All-Star Game voting underway, the primary results for the American League have been released, and there are a few Yankees that have made the list. However, some may come as a bit of a surprise. 

First, let's look at two players that don't come as much of a surprise for the Yanks in Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit. Sanchez is having a bounce-back season, and his 737,107 votes thus far show the fans recognizing that. He leads all AL catchers by a longshot, with James McCann behind him with 289,475 votes. 

Voit, on the other hand, is neck and neck with C.J. Cron -- another player looking for his first All-Star Game bid. Voit leads with 393,356 votes compared to Cron's 302,586 total. The slugging first baseman won the job out of spring training, and has proven all season that last year's hot streak wasn't a fluke. 

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. 48) -- ETA 2021

Florial returned from the IL after recuperating from a non-displaced right wrist fracture that he sustained crashing into the outfield wall toward the end of spring training. Florial got off to a very nice start, going 6-for-20 with two doubles and a home run in six games. He has already swiped three bases, too. 

The 2009 season for the Yankees was certainly one to remember. It was the last time they hoisted the World Series trophy, marking their 27th championship title in franchise history. 

But the road that got them there was even more special. And one story in particular resonates with those Yankees still today. 

Alex Rodriguez' 34th birthday party was one for the ages, taking lace in Rye, NY which is just a few miles from Yankee Stadium. Rodriguez then-girlfriend Kate Hudson put together an immaculate spread that saw the likes of the entire Yankees roster -- including coaches -- and some big name celebrities...

After being shot on Sunday night while leaving a bar in the Dominican Republic, Red Sox legend David Ortiz had surgery to remove his gallbladder and control bleeding from his liver and bowel, according to Leo López, who works as Ortiz's assistant and press representative.

Ortiz will remain in intensive care for the next 24 hours.

Ortiz's family said late Sunday night that they expect him to make a full recovery.

Both Adam Ottavino and Aroldis Chapman were charged with blown saves in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. 

New York's bullpen, which had been one of the team's biggest strengths, had faltered during the Yankees' recent slide.

And yet, the pitching staff is confident it can right the ship.

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

With Dallas Keuchel no longer an option for the Yankees as they look to bolster their pitching staff, the trade market presents the best opportunity for them to upgrade. 

According to the New York Post's Ken Davidoff, the Yankees have already checked in with AL East rival Toronto regarding right-hander Marcus Stroman. Additionally, they've been scouting the Giants' Madison Bumgarner.  

In 14 starts this season, Stroman has a 3.31 ERA and a 3.75 FIP. The normally durable Stroman missed nearly half of last year, but taken the mound every five days in 2019.

The Yankees (39-24, tied for first in AL East) aiming to break this recent skid against the Indians (33-31, 9.5 GB in AL Central) on Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

Yankees notes

The Yankees have lost five of their last six games entering today. ...Didi Gregorius belted his first homer of the season last night. He finished the night 2-for-4. ...Domingo German was placed on the 10-day IL with a hip flexor strain. He had been struggling a bit in his last few starts, which could be attributed to the injury. ...DJ LeMahieu might have had his 11-game hit streak snapped on Friday night, but he came back yesterday with a 2-for-4 performance. 

The Yankees have placed RHP Domingo German on the 10-day IL with a left hip flexor strain, the team announced on Sunday. 

After having a solid start to the season, German has faltered lately. He allowed just two homers in his first seven starts of the season, but his last six has seen 10 long balls. His latest start against the Indians on Friday saw four earned runs over six innings, that included two homers. 

This injury, though, may the reason for German's lack of control and accuracy of his arsenal. Overall, he is still having a good season, as he is tied for the league lead in wins with nine. He also owns a modest 3.86 ERA over 70 innings of work with 77 strikeouts. 

The corresponding move for German hitting the IL is LHP Stephen Tarpley getting called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 

Brett Gardner had a day he'd like to forget on Saturday, but his face will show the evidence for a bit.

It's all fun and games until the helmet bounces back and hits you in the face. pic.twitter.com/gy6Lpgrhlf

- FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 8, 2019

The Yankees lost their second straight in Cleveland Saturday, 8-4, and have now lost five of their last six games. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Saturday's game

1) Things started well for CC Sabathia as he began the day with three scoreless innings. But he gave up two runs in the fourth which tied the game, and then surrendered a two-run homer to Oscar Mercado in the fifth, allowing Cleveland to take a 4-2 lead. Sabathia finished the inning and then his day was done. He allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out eight.

Could Troy Tulowitzki's days as a Yankee be numbered?

Aaron Boone told reporters in Cleveland on Saturday that Tulowitzki remains at home and is evaluating his future based on the organization's needs and what's best for him and his family.

Tulowitzki was just transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday when Didi Gregorius was activated off the IL. 

The Yankees (39-23, 0.5 GA in AL East) look to bounce back in Cleveland (32-31, 10.5 GB in AL Central) on Saturday at 4:10 p.m.

Yankees notes

Saturday's lineup represents an example of how Aaron Boone will keep DJ LeMahieu in the lineup with a crowded infield now that Didi Gregorius is back. With Gleyber Torres back at second and Gio Urshela at third, LeMahieu is starting at first base for the second time this season. It's his third career start and eighth career appearance at first. ... Luke Voit is getting the day off after taking a golden sombrero (four strikeouts) on Friday. Kendrys Morales will DH. ... Gary Sánchez is also out of the lineup.