Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

True, it's early in spring training. But with the way injuries have piled up for the Yankees since 2019, including in camp, it's never too early to consider contingency plans. 

That's why we've cooked up a look at what the club's rotation might be like on Opening Day if Luis Severino is not healthy enough to start the season. 

J.A. Happ pitched two perfect innings in the Yankees' opening game of spring training, but the Bombers lost to the Blue Jays by a final score of 2-1 on Saturday. >> Box score

5 things to know from Saturday's game...

1) Happ faced six projected Blue Jays regulars over his two innings and retired all of them, including strikeouts of Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk. 

The Yankees won't have pitcher James Paxton when the team breaks camp in a few weeks, after the left-hander underwent surgery earlier this month to remove a peridiscal cyst. 

But manager Aaron Boone is optimistic the starting pitcher could re-join the team sometime in May.

"Paxton is on track to start throwing in the next 10 days or so," Boone said on the radio broadcast of Saturday's spring training game against the Blue Jays. "I think there is a really good chance that he'll be ready sometime in May. He's doing well and we're excited about where he's at."

Mark Teixeira was a Yankee for eight seasons, the final three of which were spent as a teammate of Carlos Beltran. When Beltran was implicated in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, The Athletic reported that he had told his new teammates that they were "behind the times." in regards to their efforts to decipher opponents' signals. 

Does that mean his immediate former team, the Yankees, were the ones that were setting the standard? According to the Post, Teixeira says not so fast.

"I don't believe any of my Yankee teammates ever broke the rules by passing along signs to hitters in real time," Teixeira said. "We would have seen it."

As Spring Training begins in Tampa, the Yankees are looking to have a much healthier season than the one they went through in 2019, when it seemed like almost every player spent time on the injured list. 

But things haven't gotten off to a great start.

Luis Severino, who started just three regular-season games for the Yankees in 2019 due to a rotator cuff injury, once again is dealing with an arm ailment.

The 26-year-old has been shut down from pitching at spring training and was sent to New York for further testing of his arm, per Aaron Boone.

Clint Frazier played in just 69 games for the Yankees in 2019, mainly when the team was dealing with injuries in the outfield. The 25-year-old split his time between the big leagues and in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

This season, Frazier is focused on making the Yankees' Opening Day roster, especially since the MLB expanded roster sizes by one player to 26 total players.

At one point, I was starting left field (for the Yankees)," Frazier told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. "And then at another point, I was starting left field in (Triple-A) Scranton. I have my eyes on that other spot (starting for Yankees)

In light of Thursday's news that Luis Severino would be shut down at spring training and Friday's frustrating comments from the two-time All-Star RHP, manager Aaron Boone wanted to add more clarity but couldn't.

Meeting with reporters early Friday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., Boone was asked about Severino's situation. The Yankees, however, still don't know what's wrong with the 26-year-old.

After forearem soreness from late in the 2019 season resurfaced, Severino is set to leave Tampa and head for New York, where he will undergo further tests starting Monday.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Before the Yankees' spring camp opened, Jordan Montgomery figured to be one of a number of hopefuls competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. But with another pinstriped injury-a-thon perhaps cranking up, Montgomery has soared in importance and maybe moved up the pitching depth chart.

James Paxton is out until at least May following back surgery and now Luis Severino is dealing with right forearm soreness and could start the season on the Injured List. Domingo German still has 63 games left to serve on his 81-game domestic violence suspension.

So bump up Montgomery to fourth in the rotation, following Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ, at least for now? Sure, since he has more big-league starting experience than rotation candidates such as Luis Cessa, Deivi Garcia, Michael King and Jonathan Loaisiga.

Yankees RHP Luis Severino voiced his frustration early Friday morning, a day after new broke that he's been shut down at spring training due to forearm soreness.

"It's definitely frustrating to hear this stuff again ... it is so weird, I don't get it," Severino said, according to SNY contributor Sweeny Murti

MLB.com's Bryan Hoch added that Severino said he only feels discomfort when he throws a changeup, which is why he doesn't believe the "loose body" in his elbow is the cause. Severino is scheduled to see a doctor on Friday.

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

It's easy to get scouts and executives gushing when you bring up Gleyber Torres and his prospects for the 2020 season: 

"He's a young star and the Yankees have every reason to be thrilled about him," says one competing club official.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

PORT ST. LUCIE -- The voices pushing MLB to strip the Houston Astros of their 2017 championship have grown louder this week, with the Yankees' Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton joining the chorus.

Baseball players, executives and fans are angry and unsatisfied, wanting the Astros to face stiffer consequences for their cheating. According to two high-ranking rival executives, many owners are far more angry about the scandal -- and at Astros owner Jim Crane personally -- than the league anticipated they would be.

MLB understands all this, but remains unlikely to take the aggressive step for which many are calling.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Thursday that RHP Luis Severino will be shut down, as he is dealing with forearm soreness. He called the issue "concerning," per YES Network's Jack Curry.

Boone explained how Severino has been dealing with that soreness since his last start in the ALCS. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch added that Boone said Severino, who turned 26 years old Thursday, has a loose body in his pitching elbow as well.  

GM Brian Cashman said that Severino won't be seeing Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Friday, as Boone had said, and he has been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and rest in the meantime. Newsday's David Lennon says Severino will be seeing an orthopedist on Friday instead.

Aaron Judge, who has been dealing with soreness in his right shoulder, will begin his hitting program on Friday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Thursday.

Judge has not been allowed to hit since Monday and has already been ruled out of the team's Grapefruit League opener, which is Saturday against the Blue Jays.

But both Boone and Judge viewed the issue as minor, and with Judge beginning his hitting program on Friday, it's fair to believe he'll be able to hit in games before too long.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

With the Yankees kicking off their spring training schedule on Saturday when they open Grapefruit League play against the Blue Jays, we're about to go from "best shape of his life" stories that often don't matter to game results that never matter.

While it will be fun to see Aaron Judge taking his hacks against another team's pitcher and Gerrit Cole's glare 60 feet, six inches away, it's important to enjoy these games for what they are: fun distractions on the march to the first game that actually matters, when the Yankees travel to Baltimore to face the Orioles on March 26.

Since the Yankees reported to Spring Training over the past week in Tampa, Florida, players have naturally been asked about the Astros' electronic sign-stealing scandal.

Yankees CF Aaron Hicks became the latest to do so Wednesday, and he didn't hold back on his stance when speaking with SNY contributor Sweeny Murti.

Hicks -- who faced the Astros in New York's 2017 and '19 ALCS losses, which respectively went seven and six games -- echoed his teammates' sentiments from the past few days when he expressed frustration with Houston's cheating.

Roughly four months removed from surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Yankees CF Aaron Hicks told SNY contributor Sweeny Murti that the recovery has gone well.

During a 1-on-1 interview Wednesday at Spring Training in Tampa, Florida, Hicks told Murti about his rehabilitation process, which he admitted has seen ups and downs on the 30-year-old's road back to the field.

"I feel great," Hicks told Murti. "I feel like my arm is recovering good, recovering fast and I'm kind of just ready to get things going. The first couple of months were kind of slow, just trying to get strength back and stuff like that with grip strength. So pretty much just trying to just kind of enjoy the ride right now, because I know it's a long road, but just excited for the future."

Luis Severino is aiming for a big bounce-back season with the Yankees in 2020, and if it looks anything like his handful of games late last year, the team will definitely be happy. 

Severino was solid at the very end of the regular season and pitched well in the postseason. Heading into spring training, he told SNY contributor Sweeny Murti that he is feeling great, and that can be attributed to some offseason tweaks. 

"I feel pretty great," he said. "Last year was a tough year for me, but this year I changed a little bit of my routine. We talked to the trainers and made a really good program to come here healthy."

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said last Thursday that he didn't know about his former Astros team's electronic sign stealing, and he doubled down on his initial comments during Wednesday's media availability.

More than one week into Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, the Astros' scandal has dominated the discussion around the Yankees.

Cole, who played for Houston from 2018-19 before signing a nine-year contract worth $324 million with New York, was asked about the strong comments made in recent days by his new Yankees teammates regarding the Astros' cheating.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole faces live batters during spring training in Tampa, Fla. on Wednesday.

Yankees OF Aaron Judge explained how he has been feeling soreness in his shoulder for about a week now on Tuesday, and manager Aaron Boone said that it will likely lead to him missing at least the team's first spring training game on Saturday. 

But it might not be any longer than that. 

Judge was seen throwing at practice on Wednesday, and Boone gave an update on the All-Star's status.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Yankees spring training is in full swing down in Tampa, as players gear up for the start of games at the end of the week. It is during these games that position battles will start to heat up, and players on the bubble will fight for roster spots.

We made a couple of tweaks to our Opening Day roster from our original prediction to the 2.0 version, and after a few developments already at camp, the same can be said for this one.

So, without further ado, let's look at the starting lineup...

Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark was down in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday to talk with the Mets, but also took time to answer some questions about the Astros sign-stealing scandal. 

MLBPA released a statement following MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's comments saying the union had pushed back after the league wouldn't rule out disciplining players when trying to make progress within the investigation. Clark said that anything regarding the obstruction of the investigation "is completely untrue."

Clark continued to comment on the immunity situation, saying that disciplining players wasn't even in the initial conversations before the investigations began. 

DJ LeMahieu was the Yankees' MVP last season after positing career numbers in multiple categories, and providing a team wrecked by injuries with consistent production. 

And because of that production, the Yankees might be extending another contract to LeMahieu soon.

According to The Post's Ken Davidoff, it's something that LeMahieu said Wednesday morning he was definitely open to. No conversations have begun yet, however LeMahieu said, "But obviously, I love it here."

Another day, another Yankee spitting fire at the Astros in the wake of the electronic sign-stealing scandal.

On Wednesday, it was Giancarlo Stanton, holding nothing back while taking Houston to task for selective remorse while adding that he's lost respect for them and that they should be stripped of the 2017 World Series title. 

"You're only really sorry because you got caught," Stanton said, according to Erik Boland of Newsday.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has drawn criticism lately over how the league has handled the Houston Astros' sign-stealing saga.

A large amount of that criticism has come from players around the league, such as Nick Markakis, who voiced his displeasure in the fact that no Astros players were penalized for what was called a "player-driven" sign-stealing system in the league's official investigation. 

"I feel like every single guy over there needs a beating," the Braves outfielder told reporters, continuing: "The way [Manfred] handled the situation, he should be embarrassed of himself."

The reason why no players have been punished is that MLB, in working with the Players Association, granted complete "blanket immunity" in exchange for information, a fact that Manfred touched on this past Sunday, but then dug deeper into at a press conference on Tuesday evening. 

Miguel Andujar's role this season has been a question ever since Gio Urshela took over for him at third base, and had a career year in 2019. GM Brian Cashman has already said it's Urshela's job to lose, so finding a spot for Andujar is now one of the biggest storylines coming out of Yankees spring training. 

Reporters have already prodded manager Aaron Boone to give them an inside look at what the team plans to do with the soon-to-be 25-year-old, and playing the outfield has been the base of some of those questions. Andujar has been seen taking reps with the other outfielders, and Boone said he could see some game time right away as well. 

"Yeah," Boone said when asked if we could see Andujar in the outfield this weekend. "I think the good thing is, physically speaking, Miggy's feeling well and we feel like in a good place and ready to go and game ready. We'll get him out there in a lot of different situations and even positions. But, at the same time, being mindful of the demands that this creates and something new that we have to be mindful of."

Multiple Yankees have come forth to voice their opinions about the Astros sign-stealing scandal, and Aaron Judge joined them on Tuesday without holding anything back.

Simply put, he doesn't believe the Astros -- who defeated the Yankees in the ALCS during that 2017 season -- deserve to keep their World Series title they won shortly after that series.

"Yeah, I just don't think it holds any value," he said. "You cheated, you didn't earn it. That's how I feel: it wasn't earned." 

Brett Gardner joined the ranks of Yankees who have made comments on the Astros' sign-stealing scandal on Tuesday, but decided to keep some of his stronger thoughts to himself.

Gardner, a member of the Yankees team that fell in seven games to the Astros in the 2017 ALCS, feels Houston "cheated" and voiced some of his frustration at spring training down in Tampa, Fla.

"Yeah, without getting too far into it, it's frustrating to know, looking back, that maybe we weren't on an even playing field," Gardner said on the 2017 ALCS. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed on Tuesday that All-Star OF Aaron Judge will be missing at least the team's first spring training game on Saturday. 

Boone described Judge as having "crankiness" and a "little soreness" in his right shoulder, which gives more context to George A. King III's report that stated he was dealing with a "minor" problem in that shoulder. 

"I don't anticipate it delaying the season, but he won't be playing on Feb. 22," Boone said. "But hopefully not much behind that."

The Yankees hit the field as a squad on Tuesday in Tampa, with Aaron Judge participating on a limited basis and Miguel Andujar leaving the infield dirt.

At this time last year, DJ LeMahieu was entering spring training as a very intriguing, super-utility option for the Yankees. GM Brian Cashman signed him to a two-year, $24 million deal, and many believed his high-contact bat and smooth glove anywhere in the field could be a catalyst of sorts for a lineup bursting with power bats. 

The preseason catalyst actually became the team MVP. 

LeMahieu was everything the Yankees hoped to see and much more after having a career year at the plate, and providing manager Aaron Boone with a consistent presence in a lineup wrecked by injuries. He earned his third All-Star nod after posting a .327/.375/.518 slash line with a career-high 26 homers and 102 RBI. That kind of leap in production also had a Silver Slugger Award come his way as well. 

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will be held out of batting practice on Tuesday due to a "minor right shoulder problem," reports George A. King III of the New York Post.

According to King, manager Aaron Boone said a test on Judge's shoulder didn't reveal anything serious.

While Judge -- who arrived at camp on Monday -- is being held out of batting practice for precautionary reasons, he will be throwing.

MLB Network has released its Top 100 Right Now list, and of the eight Yankees who make an appearance, it's their newest, high-priced acquisition leading the way.

Gerrit Cole signed the richest contract of any starting pitcher in the history of baseball when he signed with the Yankeesin the offseason, and with good reason. He ranks No. 7 on MLB Network's list, the highest of any pitcher and one spot ahead of Mets' ace Jacob deGrom. Cole was the runner-up to then-Astros teammate Justin Verlander in AL Cy Young voting, despite leading the league with a 2.50 ERA and all of baseball with 326 strikeouts. 

Aaron Judge has missed 50-plus games in each of the last two seasons, but still earns the No. 16 spot on the list. Judge missed 60 games and had just 447 plate appearances in 2019, but still hit 27 homers and slashed .272/.381/.540. He'll enter his fourth full season in the big leagues hoping that it's more like his rookie year than the previous two. All Judge did in his first season was mash 52 homers, win AL Rookie of the Year and finish second in AL MVP voting.

Count Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres among the many MLB players who don't believe that the Astros' sign-stealing scheme ended before 2019.

Asked Monday at spring training if he thinks the Astros were cheating in 2019, Torres said "yeah, for sure."

Reminded about the denials of Astros players that their scheme extended that far, Torres was clear.

Live batting practice has already started for the Yankees, and Masahiro Tanaka and J.A. Happ were on hand to pitch to live hitters for the first time this spring. Check them out, along with Miguel Andujar getting outfield reps with Aaron Judge.

What will the Yankees get out of Giancarlo Stanton this season? 

It's one of the bigger questions heading into spring training, as the former MVP battled through multiple injuries last season that led to playing only a few scattered games in the regular season and postseason. And even in those contests, Stanton's presence was felt. 

Manager Aaron Boone will hope it's a presence he can consistently put in his lineup. Having Stanton around the likes of Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and the rest of this stacked lineup makes it that much more scary for Yankees opponents. And it looks like that's what will happen right away at spring training, as Boone says Stanton is a full go. 

Yankees OF Brett Gardner has filed a restraining order against an obsessed fan, and the Yankees want her banned from all ballparks around the league, per NJ.com's Brendan Kuty. 

Gardner went to civil court last Thursday to make sure Gina Devasahayam, 46, stays away from him and his family. Devasahayam has claimed that she's Gardner's "future wife" among many other comments about the two of them despite never meeting. 

In August, Devasahayam, who says she is a "biotech entrepreneur," attempted to sneak in to the visitor's clubhouse at Camden Yards in Baltimore when the Yankees were in town to face the Orioles. She went in to see Gardner, but security kicked her out. 

Like many Yankees last season, OF Mike Tauchman was called upon to fill in for starters that hit the IL. Between the injuries for Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Aaron Judge, Tauchman had plenty of opportunities to impress in his first season as a Yankee, and he did just that. 

Until the injury bug caught up with him toward the end of the season. 

A Grade 2 calf strain suffered at the beginning of September ended Tauchman's campaign, as the Yankees lost yet another key contributor to their lineup. Stanton, Miguel Andujar, and later on Luke Voit would join that list as well. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Brian Cashman gave Gerrit Cole the richest contract in pitching history, so it's no surprise that the Yankees GM believes his new ace is going to sparkle in his first season in pinstripes. 

That's no rogue opinion. Cashman is far from the only one in baseball who is confident in Cole, the explosive righty who signed a $324 million deal during the offseason. In recent conversations with SNY.tv, opposing scouts and executives raved about Cole and it's clear that the rest of the industry believes the Yanks finally have the kind of rotation-topper who can dominate a season and in October. 

"Now they got their No. 1 guy," said a longtime MLB scout. "No more excuses." 

With Yankees position players trickling in to spring training in Tampa, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were some of the first to arrive on Monday morning.

Click below to see...

Day 4 of Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, saw the Yankees get several pitchers extended work on the field and sides Sunday morning and afternoon.

Chief among New York's arms in action was ace right-hander Gerrit Cole, who attracted a crowd and threw live batting practice, exiting the mound to cheers from fans on hand.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone met the media after the group's latest workout, doling out updates on Cole and a handful multiple other starters. Below are five takeaways from Boone's latest session.

With the offseason closing, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred held his first press conference of the new year and his first since releasing the league's report on their investigation into the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

His opening statement on the Astros sign-stealing scandal...

"When we began our investigation after we became aware of the Houston situation, we started with an important and fundamental goal, and that goal was to make sure that we found the facts, completed the investigation, figured out what was going on and put ourselves in the position to be as transparent with our fans and the other clubs as possible."

Gerrit Cole faced his first batters as a member of the Yankees on Sunday morning -- albeit they were his teammates -- and got a stand ovation from the crowd of fans in attendance after his final pitch of the day.

With the Yankees among the favorites to win the World Series this upcoming season, Cole is sure to play an integral part in that chase, and that all starts with spring training.

Cole said after the day that he's been communicating well with catcher Gary Sanchez and is learning from his new teammates.

Gerrit Cole spoke to reporters after facing live batters for the first time in Yankees gear Sunday morning, and discussed what it was like to really get some fresh work in with his new teammates and to see the New York fans.

On first real day of training with Gary Sanchez

"It was good. I thought Gary and I did some good work, we hit our target in terms of volume and I'm coming out of it feeling good, feeling pretty fresh. It was an exciting atmosphere today too, a little more adrenaline than usual."

Former Yankees and Mets infielder Tony Fernandez died on Saturday at the age of 57 after suffering a brain stroke that came with complications from polycystic kidney disease.

Fernandez is most notably known as a Blue Jays legend, winning four Gold Gloves, going to five All Star games and winning a World Series title during his time in Toronto, but he did spend two stints in New York -- in both Queens and The Bronx.

Leaving the Padres after two seasons, Fernandez joined the Mets in 1993, but the stay was short lived. After a disappointing start to the season, he was traded back up to Toronto, where he played a big role in the Blue Jays winning the World Series later that season.

After undergoing surgery to remove a peridiscal cyst earlier this month, James Paxton will begin the season on the Yankees' injured list. 

The left-hander is expected to miss 3-4 months, but said on Saturday that he's optimistic he's going to have a quick recovery.

"It's all going to depend on how things go in this rehab process," Paxton said. "They told me 4-6 weeks before I can start throwing, so if we're on the closer side of that, that's going to put me two weeks closer to being on the mound. I'm thinking that I'll be back in a big league game some time in May."

It was a busy day in Tampa, Fla. as Yankees pitchers and catchers continued to put work in on the practice fields.

Aroldis Chapman threw off a mound in the bullpen, under the watchful eye of both the coaching staff and some high-performance analysis cameras. 

Pitchers J.A. Happ and David Hale threw off of flat ground in the outfield, while Luis Serverino and Gerrit Cole were put through the paces of pitcher fielding practice, a time-honored Spring Training tradition.

Finally, Gary Sanchez took some swings in the cage while Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman looked on.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke at spring training in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday to discuss Chad Green's role this season along with how Gary Sanchez looks and the depth of the team's catchers behind him.

On Chad Green's role in 2020

"I don't know if I envision [his role] as being different. With Greeny, he brings a lot to the table being a multi-inning reliever. We've used him in the opener scenarios. We've even toyed with him as a starter. But he can be one of our high-leverage set-up guys, as well. I feel like his versatility to gives us an edge to our blend down there. He's kind of our Swiss Army knife. He can fill a lot of roles down there and that's really how I see him."

While MLB's investigation of the Astros only confirmed electronic sign-stealing efforts in 2017, many have pointed to Jose Altuve adamantly insisting that his teammates not rip off his jersey after his ALCS-clinching home run against the Yankees as proof the scheme hadn't stopped.

But in an interview with The Athletic released on Saturday, shortstop Carlos Correa offered a new, albeit puzzling, explanation.

Correa was responding to comments made by reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger, who blasted Altuve for stealing an MVP from Aaron Judge in 2017, along with pointing to the controversy surrounding his home run off of Aroldis Chapman to send the Astros to the World Series in 2019.