The Yankees (60-33, 6.0 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East) face the Rays (56-41) in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday at 3:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Yankees notes

Edwin Encarnacion has six hits in his last 14 at-bats, including three homers. ... Domingo German has allowed two runs total over his last two starts, spanning 12.0 innings.

Just about a half hour before first pitch was scheduled between the Yankees and Rays, Wednesday's game was officially postponed due to rain in the forecast.

The Yankees and Rays will hold a doubleheader on Thursday, starting at 3:00 p.m. The Yankees were scheduled to pitch Domingo German on Wednesday night, with J.A. Happ set to go on Thursday. Aaron Boone said on Wednesday night that German is scheduled to pitch the first game on Thursday, while the second game starter is still up in the air, and could be an opener.

Before the home run heroics from Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius in the Yankees' 8-3 win over Tampa, the offense had been struggling in the post-London Series world.

But no Yankee has seen their production dip further than Gary Sanchez, who has looked a lot like his 2018 version.

Just a few weeks ago on June 23, Sanchez was the owner of a .273/.339/.634 line, numbers that earned him a trip to his second All-Star game. Since then? He has just seven hits in 59 plate appearances -- good for a .119 batting average.

Aaron Judge had his first big "Aaron Judge" moment this season during Tuesday night's 8-3 victory over the Rays. Batting as the go-ahead run, he cracked a two-run home run that gave the Yankees a lead that they did not relinquish.

Due to injuries and time off, it was only Judge's 10th home run of the season, and his first in 11 days. That doesn't mean that big number 99 hasn't been helping the Yankees in other ways, though.

Judge has, in some ways, changed his approach in 2019. His power production has dropped a little bit, but his batting average sits at an attractive .304. In the at-bat that preceded his go-ahead bomb, the Rays shifted on Judge, playing him to pull. Instead, Judge laced a base hit right to where the second baseman would have normally been.

The Yankees added some speed on Wednesday by acquiring outfielder Terrance Gore from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations.

Gore, a 28-year-old outfielder, has spent parts of six seasons in the majors, primarilly with the Royals aside from a one-year stop in Chicago with the Cubs. 

Will the Yankees be without their closer Aroldis Chapman in 2020? It's a scenario that is very plausible after hearing what The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal had to say about the flame-throwing left-hander. 

Rosenthal wrote in his most recent piece that "a player who is friendly" with Chapman said that the closer will "one million percent" opt out of his contract following the end of the 2019 season. 

Chapman answered questions about the report before tonight's game, saying it is "completely false" that he wants to opt out, according to multiple reports. However, he will have a discussion with his agent after the season to contemplate his options. For now, though, he is happy with his contract...

The Yankees have the best record in the American League and the second-best winning percentage in all of baseball (behind only the Dodgers, who are 63-34). And their place in the standings matches their current odds to win the World Series.

Per Bovada, the Dodgers are currently +280 to win the Fall Classic, while the Yanks are +333.

The rest of the odds shake out like this:

Aaron Judge had already flipped the script in the bottom of the eighth, when his two-run homer to right field made it 4-3 Yankees over the Rays. 

But Didi Gregorius completely broke down the door with a grand slam in the same frame to pull away. 

With the crowd chanting his name, Gregorius sent a moonshot to the right field bleachers, and a big smile crossed his face as he sent the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy. It's a scene Gregorius has orchestrated so many times in the past, but this season following his long IL stint due to Tommy John surgery recovery, it has been a rare sight. 

The Yankees rallied late and broke the game wide open with a pair of eighth-inning home runs to defeat the Rays, 8-3, Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Tuesday's game

1) The eighth inning proved to be the deciding one for the Yanks, who trailed 3-2 with Gleyber Torres set to lead off against Colin Poche. The second baseman walked, but Brett Gardner struck out and D.J. LeMahieu lined out hard to right-center. That brought up Aaron Judge, who sent a ball just outside the right field foul pole on the sixth pitch of the at-bat. He made no mistake on the very next offering, however, powering a ball over the wall in right to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. Poche remained in the game and allowed a single to Luke Voit and a double to Gary Sanchez before intentionally walking Edwin Encarnacion to load the bases for Didi Gregorius. On a 2-1 pitch, Gregorius ripped a grand slam deep into the right-field bleachers to give the Yankees plenty of breathing room.     

Things got a little heated between the Yankees and Rays on Tuesday night. 

CC Sabathia struck out Avisail Garcia to end the sixth inning and strand a runner on second base, but as Sabathia was walking back to the dugout him and Garcia began exchanging words with each other. 

Garcia appeared to think Sabathia, who has a reputation for being vocal and emotional on the mound, said something to him. Sabathia began chirping back at Garcia and the two began to walk toward one another, which is when the benches emptied. 

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: Giancarlo Stanton, Cameron Maybin

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

Deivi Garcia's Triple-A debut on Sunday caught the attention of many, including Yankees skipper Aaron Boone.

Prior to Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay, Boone was asked about Garcia's debut, when the 20-year-old right-hander allowed three earned runs over five innings, striking out six Columbus Clippers along the way.

"Good first Triple-A start," said Boone. "[He] had a presence. I actually watched probably a little over an inning of it, just to watch his stuff. Wasn't as dominant as we've seen in some of his outings, but I think a very good first showing in Triple-A. 

"One of the reports said he had really good presence. He flashed all the pitches that have made him really special so far this year, so a good first outing for him to go get a win and throw strikes and rack up some punch outs too."

The Yankees (59-33, 5.0 GA in AL East) are hosting the division foe Tampa Bay Rays (56-40, 5 GB in AL East) on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.  

Yankees notes

Edwin Encarnacion mashed two homers against the Rays on Tuesday. He's hitting just .158 since joining the Yankees on June 17, but has a pair of two-hit, three-RBI games in his three appearances since the All-Star break... Aaron Hicks has gotten hot in July, posting a slash line of .342/.432/.656... Chad Green has also also settled down this month, allowing just one run in 7.1 innings, including two scoreless innings on Monday... Aaron Judge has made his hits against the Rays count this season. Though he's just 2-for-16 against Tampa Bay, both of his hits have been home runs.

On Sunday, Yankees legend Mariano Rivera will become the first unanimous inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

But at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City on Tuesday, Rivera received his first plaque of the week.

Delta officially changed the name to Gate B42 to "The Mariano Rivera Gate" in honor of Rivera before his induction ceremony into the Hall of Fame.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Yankees have been engaged for weeks in the starting pitching market, and would still prefer to land a Zack Wheeler, Trevor Bauer, or one of the other available arms who could help with the rotation. This remains the surest way to bolster their championship chances.

But given the state of the market, the team has been forced to consider other options. According to multiple general managers in search of pitching, the asking prices for Wheeler, Stroman and the like remain very high, and teams are far apart on value.

That's why, according to sources, the Red Sox and A's settled for less exciting acquisitions in Andrew Cashner and Homer Bailey. Those teams essentially looked at the asks for higher-end help and said, "forget it, we'll go with depth."

Dellin Betances and Luis Severino have been waiting very patiently in the dugout and clubhouse to finally pick up their gloves again. And Monday was finally that time to hit the field for some catch.

"I greeted them with 'happy throwing day,'" manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic's Lindsey Adler. 

Both pitchers, who have been on the IL since the start of the season, were seen in right field throwing a baseball for the first time since being activated over the weekend. It was just to get the blood flowing again, with 25 throws from 60 feet. 

Travis d'Arnaud nearly missed the team bus to Yankee Stadium on Monday, and the Yankees probably wish he had. 

The Tampa Bay Rays catcher has suddenly emerged as a new Yankee-killer in the past month. D'Arnaud has four home runs in his last eight at-bats against the Yankees, which include a walk-off home run and a ninth inning, three-run go-ahead shot on Monday night that doomed the Bombers in a 5-4 loss. 

D'Arnaud was responsible for driving in all five of Tampa Bay's runs, with two solo home runs off James Paxton, finishing the night 3-for-3 with a walk. He became the first catcher to hit three home runs in a game out of the leadoff spot, per Elias Sports Bureau.  

For the first time all season, the Yankees lost a game with a lead after eight innings, falling to the Rays, 5-4, Monday night at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Monday's game

1) Aroldis Chapman blew the save for the Yankees as the closer allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning, before striking out the next to batters, before bringing up Travis d'Arnaud. The Rays catcher had already homered twice and after falling behind in the count, d'Arnaud lifted a 3-2 slider into right field to give the Rays a 5-4 lead. 

With Mets talent evaluator Omar Minaya on hand, Yankees pitching prospect Deivi Garcia made his Triple-A debut Monday against the Columbus Clippers.

The right-hander tossed five innings, yielding three runs and six hits while walking one and striking out six, and earned the win, a 6-4 victory.

After allowing back-to-back singles and a sac fly to begin the game, Garcia escaped further trouble after striking out Brandon Barnes to begin a "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play. 

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, Yankees top prospect Estevan Florial's name is sure to come up. 

The 21-year-old outfielder is hitting .229/.282/.359 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 34 games this season with High-A Tampa. 

While the numbers do not quite jump off the stat sheet, it is just the 34 games played this season -- and just 84 last season -- that really seems to stick out to evaluators.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Mets are sending their most trusted evaluator, former GM Omar Minaya, to scout the Triple-A debut of Yankees pitching prospect Deivi Garcia on Monday night, according to major league sources.

The Yankees promoted Garcia, their top pitching prospect, after he started the Futures Game in Cleveland last week. At 20 years old, Garcia is the youngest player in Triple-A.

The Mets and Yankees have had many discussions about Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, stretching back to last winter. The Yankees will not trade Garcia for a rental player like Wheeler, who will be a free agent after this season.

The Yankees (59-32, 6.0 GA in AL East) are hosting division foe Tampa Bay Rays (55-40, 6 GB in AL East) on Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Yankees notes

Aaron Judge is off to a solid start to the second half. He was 7-for-11 with two walks and a run and RBI against the Blue Jays over the weekend and is hitting .321/.433/.554 since returning from the IL on June 21. ... Gary Sanchez has some pretty good numbers against Rays starter Blake Snell. Sanchez is 5-for-17 with four home runs and seven RBI against the reigning AL Cy Young award winner. ... Brett Gardner has also fared well against Snell, with six hits in 19 at-bats, inlcuding a home run. Gardner enters the game on a seven-game hitting streak. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman's search for starting pitching is set to heat up over the next two and a half weeks.

The Red Sox made the first move ahead of the July 31 deadline, acquiring Orioles starter Andrew Cashner for two low-level prospects. A relatively quiet deal, the trade could be a foreshadowing of what is to come -- an arms race. This years crop of back-end options is shaping up to feature names like Mike Minor and Jason Vargas, while the high profile arm search has focused on Trevor Bauer, Zack Wheeler, Marcus Stroman and Madison Bumgarner.

Bumgarner, who turns 30 on August 1, has frequently been linked to the Yankees and Twins. According to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, one scenario the Giants have discussed regarding a potential Bumgarner deal is to acquire "players at roughly the same level as their top prospects at High A - catcher Joey Bart, outfielder Heliot Ramos, etc."

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

Florial had a 4-for-4 night on July 10 that included two runs scored and an RBI. But he collected only two more hits the rest of the week, as he went 6-for-26 (.231). Overall, Florial is hitting .29/.282/.359 this season with the Tarpons.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

During the All-Star break, the Yankees and Red Sox were both talking to the Mets about Zack Wheeler, setting up a potential race between division rivals to acquire the pitcher.

Then, when the Sox acquired righty starter Andrew Cashner from Baltimore on Saturday, it left rivals to wonder if that took them out of the Wheeler sweepstakes.

That does turn out to be the case: According to major league sources, Boston is out on Wheeler now. With Cashner on board, the Sox expect to now look for bullpen help.

Sure, DJ LeMahieu may be considered the Yankees' MVP given his clutch hitting and the fact he leads the American League in hitting.

But third baseman Gio Urshela has been such a revelation that he, too, has garnered high praise.

"We wouldn't be in first place without him," outfielder Aaron Judge said, according to the New York Times' James Wagner, after the 27-year-old drove in two runs and scored the go-ahead run in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees won their first series of the second half, beating the Blue Jays 4-2 Sunday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Sunday's game

1) The long ball continues to plague Masahiro Tanaka, but the Yankees right-hander kept the damage to a minimum on Sunday. Tanaka allowed two solo home runs in the fifth inning, but other than that he pitched six strong innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five. 

The Yankees (58-32, 6.0 GA in AL East) are back in action for the rubber game against the Blue Jays (35-58, 24.5 GB in AL East) on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Yankees notes

Brett Gardner enters Sunday on a six-game hitting streak and three-game multi-hit streak. Since June 9, Gardner is hitting .337/.424/.663 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. ... Aaron Judge has five hits in his first eight at-bats since the All-Star break. The Yankees slugger is hitting .302/.413/.547 with four home runs and 10 RBI since returning from the IL on June 21. ... DJ LeMahieu snapped an 11 at-bat hitless streak with a ninth inning single on Saturday. He still leads the AL with a .330 batting average. 

The Boston Red Sox have gotten the wheels spinning for this year's MLB trade deadline.

The team announced on Saturday afternoon that they had acquired starting pitcher Andrew Cashner from the Orioles in exchange for two minor leaguers. Cashner has pitched to a 9-3 record with a 3.83 ERA in 17 starts with the Orioles this season.

This trade may have a ripple effect for both the Mets and Yankees. 

The Yankees rallied in the ninth to avoid a shutout, but it was not enough as they fell to the Blue Jays, 2-1, on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Saturday's game

1) The Yankees would certainly like to see more of this J.A. Happ. The left-hander, who entered the game with a 6.29 ERA at home this season, tossed 5.1 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out five. Happ left the game with two runners on in the sixth inning and the two runs came when Adam Ottavino allowed a two-out bloop single to Randall Grichuk to break a scoreless tie. 

The Yankees (58-31, 6.5 GA in AL East) are back in action against the Blue Jays (34-58, 25.5 GB in AL East) on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. 

Yankees notes

Luke Voit is back in the Yankees' lineup since being placed on the IL with an abdominal strain retroactive to June 30. He hit .280/.393/.509 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI the first half of the season... Brett Gardner enters Saturday on a five-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 Friday night. Since June 9, Gardner is hitting .329/.421/.671 with seven home runs and 20 RBI. ... Edwin Encarnación is coming off his best game with the Yankees, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a bases loaded double against his former team in a 4-0 win. 

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

The Yankees beat the Blue Jays, 4-0, at Yankee Stadium. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Friday's game

Carlos Beltran has played on both sides of the Subway Series rivalry.

Before Friday's Yankees-Blue Jays game in the Bronx, Beltran spoke about the outlooks for both teams, including the dynamic young duo of Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge.

"I think it's positive for baseball, it's positive for the Mets organization to have a guy that they can build around," Beltran said of Alonso. "Thirty homers as a rookie, I think that's impressive. All I can wish for Alonso is to stay healthy and continue to do his thing."

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

It didn't seem like a big deal, a player known for his thoughtfulness sitting at his locker several hours before a game and reading a book. From a distance, the scene could hardly have been more routine.

But when you strolled closer to veteran catcher Chris Stewart that afternoon at Yankee Stadium in 2013, you saw that, whether he knew it or not, he was engaged in an act that would once have been unthinkable: He was a Yankee player openly reading "Ball Four" in the clubhouse.

The Yankees (57-31, 6.5 GA in AL East) begin a three-game series with the Blue Jays (34-57, 24.5 GB in AL East) on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees notes

DJ LeMahieu enters the second half of the season with an AL-best .336 batting average. ... LeMahieu also led the potent Yankees' lineup with 113 hits and 63 RBIs. ... Gary Sanchez looks to get his second half off on the right foot after leading the Yankees with 24 home runs in the first half. 

Former Mets RHP Dwight Gooden was arrested for cocaine possession on June 7 in New Jersey, according to the New York Post.

The 54-year-old was charged with third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Post. He was also charged with being under the influence. 

Gooden has battled substance abuse issues since 1986, when he missed the Mets' World Championship parade due to his drug use. He then missed the start of the 1987 season in order to undergo treatment for cocaine abuse. He was also suspended by MLB in 1994 for violating his drug aftercare program. 

The Yankees may be able to find some pitching help within their organization this season. 

GM Brian Cashman, who is searching for another starter on the trade market, acknowledged on Jim Duquette's SiriusXM radio show that 20-year-old prospect Deivi García is "pushing himself into the mix" for helping the team this year. 

Cashman also ruled out using García in a trade package for a mere rental. 

"Are we going to give up Deivi García for a rental somewhere? Clear not," he said. 

The Yankees placed first baseman Luke Voit on the 10-day injured list prior to the All-Star break and he won't be there much longer, according to manager Aaron Boone.

Voit was injured (abdomen) running out a double against the Boston Red Sox during the team's London series earlier this month. Speaking to WFAN's Mike Francesa on Thursday, Boone said Voit will be returning by Monday at the latest.

"Voit will be sometime in the next couple of days. Probably won't be activated tomorrow. Might have him do one rehab game. We'll talk through that," Boone said. "He'll likely be back at some point this weekend or certainly first of next week."

The Yankees have one prospect listed on Keith Law of ESPN's midseason Top 50 prospects list, and it should come as no surprise that it's Deivi Garcia -- the diminutive strikeout machine who is now just one step away from the majors.

Law writes that Garcia, who is just 5'9", has been featuring a fastball that sits between 90 and 96 MPH but that hitters "cut through his fastball like he's throwing 105 with spin."

While Law is somewhat bearish on the ceiling of Garcia due to his small stature, he still heaps high praise on the 20-year-old.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Life is good for a baseball team that is 57-31, the best record in the American League. But while the Yankees might be favorites to go back to the World Series for the first time in a decade, that doesn't mean the second half of the regular season is just about lining up the playoff rotation.

Yes, even juggernauts have potential trouble areas and question marks. With that in mind, we offer five things to watch while the Yanks try to hold their sizable 6.5-game lead in the AL East over the season's final two and a half months. 

Everyone knows that the Yankees need to acquire a starting pitcher. Guys like Madison Bumgarner, Marcus Stroman, Trevor Bauer and Zack Wheeler have all been linked to the Yanks, who may be another quality starting pitcher away from a championship. If you're a bettor, hammer the "over" on the Yankees acquiring one.

However, there's another way they can improve their pitching staff for the stretch run. Risky as it may be, the Yankees could try to catch lightning in a bottle by calling up 20-year-old phenom Deivi Garcia.

It sounds ridiculous, right? Throwing a 20-year-old rookie into the pressure of a pennant race in New York City? The kid isn't even old enough to drink the celebratory champagne that would be flowing in the clubhouse!

Former Yankees pitcher and author of the critically acclaimed book "Ball Four" Jim Bouton has passed away at the age of 80 after battling brain disease that had been linked to dementia.

Bouton pitched seven of his 10 big league seasons in Yankees pinstripes from 1962-68, winning 21 games and earning an All-Star nod in 1963. He won 55 games overall with the Yankees, posting a 3.36 ERA, and was a part of the 1962 World Series championship group.

Despite a lengthy career as pitcher, Bouton is more widely known for being the author of "Ball Four", one of the most acclaimed sports books ever written.

It has been a question to all pitchers so far this season: Does the baseball feel different? 

Well, you can add Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka to the group that feels something is off.

"Probably the right word to say is, it just doesn't feel right," Tanaka told NJ.com's Brendan Kuty through a translator.

With just over two weeks left till the MLB Trade Deadline is upon us, expect the hot stove to catch fire. Brian Cashman and the Yankees will once again be at the forefront of discussions in the days leading up to July 31.

The target? Starting pitching.

Last season brought J.A. Happ, while Sonny Gray served as 2017's big acquisition. This summer has the chance to be very different, though, as the Yankees aim to acquire an ace -- or close to it. In many ways, it could be the right summer to make the deal for an impact starter that the team has long sought.

The Yankees know a thing or two about winning. Even in the All-Star Game.

Aroldis Chapman, one of five Yankees to make the American League All-Star team, recorded the save as the AL beat the National League 4-3 on Tuesday at Progressive Field.

Chapman, making his sixth All-Star Game, joined teammates Gary Sanchez, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres and Masahiro Tanaka on the AL team, which won its seventh straight Midsummer Classic.

Marcus Stroman does not really "like" the Yankees, or at least any tweets suggesting he could play for them. 

The Blue Jays pitcher, who is a potential trade chip before the July 31 deadline, was on the defensive Tuesday before the MLB All-Star Game after he was caught "liking" a tweet from a Yankees blog that read, "Marcus Stroman might be the next #Yankees or #Twins ace."

"I think people read into likes a little too much," he told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. "I just read the article. My likes in my Twitter are articles I can go back to and articles I can reference and I happened to read the article and it was praising me. It was saying a bunch of good things. ... not necessarily because it said I was coming to the Yankees. It said the Twins, too."

CC Sabathia may be retiring at the end of the season, but the left-hander does not plan to leave the Yankees any time soon. 

The 38-year-old, who was in Cleveland to be honored at the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, told reporters that he wants a front office job with the Yankees as soon as possible after his retirement. 

Sabathia said he is fully committed to retiring, but wants to stick around the stadium and continue to be around the team and has said he has been in GM Brian Cashman's ear about it, suggesting a special assistant role. 

It was a perfect day in Cleveland as the red carpet was rolled out for the 2019 MLB All-Stars to walk and talk with the fans and media waiting for them. 

Among them was CC Sabathia and Aroldis Chapman, two Yankees hurlers that were accompanied by their family as they made their rounds. Sabathia had on his superhero threads with that went perfect with his Doernbecher Jordan 4s on his feet.

Chapman, on the other hand, had a nice white suit on with a glistening Cuban link chain to go with it...

Around this time two summers ago, the Yankees landed Sonny Gray. The trade with the A's was supposed to be the deal that landed them an ace. Gray's tenure in New York was ultimately a forgettable one, at points looking like he'd never return to the blossoming arm he was in Oakland.

Now with the Cincinnati Reds, Gray is an All-Star.

"I wouldn't change the ups and downs that I had experienced on a personal level and on the baseball field level," Gray said to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. "Because coming back to an All-Star Game, it's just kind of, I can't describe the feeling. It's very special."