Kyle Higashioka was very much looking forward to last Thursday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He was primed to be Gary Sanchez' backup with Austin Romine moving on to Detroit. 

So that Opening Day would've been the first in his career. Instead, he was in Bend, Oregon doing workouts to prepare for whenever that Opening Day comes around -- if ever -- this year. 

"Thursday would have been my first major league Opening Day," Higashioka penned in the New York Post. "But, to be honest, I didn't really think about it during the day.

In the latest edition of SNY's Out of Office Replies, Andy Martino reveals who the Yankees need to lock up, why he wants to see Francisco Lindor in New York, and more!

Here is the Sports Squared crossword puzzle for Tuesday, March 31 called Yankees of the 1990s: Worst to First...

As the world was looking at the NBA and their first case of coronavirus among their players, the Yankees announced that they had a minor leaguer in their camp that contracted the virus, making it the first case in MLB. 

For minor leaguer Matt Minnick, that was the moment his eyes really opened to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"It was surreal," Minnick told the New York Daily News' Kristie Ackert. "We know what was going on in the world, but suddenly we were on a conference call with doctors talking about it. I was concerned for the player and his family. For me, I wasn't scared, I felt fine. It was just surreal."

Major League Baseball remains on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the earliest start date for the regular season May 10.

On Friday, MLB and the MLBPA signed off on a deal regarding how things will shake out if there is a shortened or canceled season.

MLBPA chief Tony Clark said shortly after the deal was struck that while players prefer to play in front of fans and not empty ballparks, they are open to doing whatever gets them back playing as soon as possible.

Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez took some time out of his day on Sunday to talk with Mets superstar 1B Pete Alonso about anything from baseball to what the reigning NL Rookie of the Year likes to cook. 

But, when A-Rod's Q&A was over, he asked Alonso if he had anything to ask and the youngster asked a very good question that had an even better answer. 

Alonso wanted to know how Rodriguez dealt with the pressure of hearing boos, specifically when he was going through his appeal process after being suspended 211 games for PED use. The Yankees were playing the Red Sox in August -- right after the suspension was slapped on him -- and the Fenway Park faithful were definitely letting Rodriguez hear it. 

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman stands at 6-foot-4, 212 pounds and has one of the most dominant fastballs in the game of baseball. And after his latest post on Instagram, we know why that's the case. 

Chapman is staying self-isolated in his home during this coronavirus pandemic, and took a picture while playing a friendly game of dominoes. But look at that left arm...

President Donald Trump reportedly reached out to former Yankee Alex Rodriguez in his continued outreach across the country regarding the coronavirus pandemic. 

Per John Santucci of ABC News, Trump called Rodriguez from the Oval Office earlier this week.

Santucci noted that Rodriguez's call with the President was "pleasant," and that Trump, while asking the former Yankees slugger about the coronavirus response, did not discuss having A-Rod or his fiance, Jennifer Lopez, take on any official effort. 

Bovada recently released their updated odds for who will be crowned 2020 AL East champion, and despite MLB looking at a shortened season, the Yankees are still the heavy favorite.

According to Bovada, the Bombers are -450 to win the division, giving them significantly better odds than the rest of the AL East teams.

The Rays are next at the list at +375, the Red Sox (now without Mookie Betts and Chris Sale) are +1000, the Blue Jays are +3300, and the Orioles round out the list at +25000.

MLB and the Players Association agreed to a deal regarding how a shortened 2020 season would be handled, and part of the deal impacts players currently facing suspensions under the joint domestic violence policy.

SNY's Andy Martino confirmed that under the new agreement, a player like Domingo German (who has 63 games remaining on a suspension that began last season) will still have to serve the current time left on his suspension in 2020. But if the season is significantly shortened or even canceled, the suspension will not carry over to the 2021 season. 

German was originally handed an 81-game suspension on Jan. 2, retroactive to Sept.19, which is when the right-hander was first placed on administrative leave by MLB. 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

A series of Yankees roster moves Thursday brought one surprise, when the team sent top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia all the way down to Double-A Trenton.

Garcia struggled in spring training, going 0-2 with a 7.46 ERA. But it turns out that the demotion had nothing to do with his performance -- "zero," according to a source -- and does not preclude Garcia from starting the season in New York, which is still in play.

As a source explained the move, rosters were frozen and the Yankees only had three spots at Triple-A Scranton. Those went to players with major league service time -- pitchers Michael King and Ben Heller, and infielder Thairo Estrada. With Scranton full, Garcia went to Trenton. But that was only because of the service-time seniority issue.

The Yankees announced a series of roster moves on Thursday evening, including two notable pitching prospects being sent down. 

Right-handers Michael King and Ben Heller, along with infielder Thairo Estrada were optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, while right-hander Deivi Garcia was optioned to Double-A Trenton. 

With the baseball world on pause amid the cornoavirus outbreak, MLB teams are still able to make transactions. 

No Opening Day baseball is a tough pill to swallow, as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed back the season indefinitely. But for Aaron Judge and manager Aaron Boone, remaining optimistic is the best thing to do in these hard times. 

Thursday was supposed to be the day the Yankees kicked off their 2020 campaign against the Orioles down in Baltimore, so it makes sense these two took the time to tweet out their disappointment about the season not starting on time. 

But that doesn't mean there won't be a season at all, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred saying on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Wednesday that he hopes things can ramp up in May.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

Earlier this month, when two players in the Yankees organization tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the team recommended that players and staff working at the minor league complex self-isolate.

That left hitting instructor Rachel Balkovec with plenty of time to consider how she could help those in worse situations than hers. Motivated by her social conscience, she quickly hatched a plan.

The Yankees were supposed to hand the ball to new ace Gerrit Cole to face the Orioles on the road Thursday, kicking off the 2020 season on Opening Day. But Cole is going to have to wait for that start now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

How long? Well there's no telling for sure. 

However, as SNY's Andy Martino pointed out earlier this week, MLB's current thinking is to salvage some sort of season this year. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred also appeared on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Wednesday, where he said he wants to start ramping things up in May if he can...

Many Yankees staff members (including manager Aaron Boone) and players have left Tampa for home to wait out the coronavirus pause, but some players (including DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton) remain.

On Wednesday, Boone -- who said he has been checking in regularly with GM Brian Cashman -- spoke to Yankees beat reporters to provide updates on what's been going on in Tampa and elsewhere...

An update on Aaron Judge

Judge, who is recovering from multiple related injuries, is still in "the healing phase" when it comes to his cracked rib and will be re-evaluated in a few weeks.

Like Giancarlo Stanton, the expectation is that Judge will be ready to go when the regular season starts no earlier than May 10.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

This Thursday was supposed to be Opening Day, but of course, there are far more important things to worry about right now than baseball. 

Still, as SNY's Andy Martino pointed out in his latest article, "MLB is determined to salvage some sort of baseball in 2020." If that is a case, an extremely shortened season is most likely what will occur. 

And with that, some Yankees players actually might not mind the delay. But there are others who most likely feel the opposite way. 

Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who was slowed by a calf injury during spring training, has progressed to the point where he'd likely be able to return to games if spring training was still going on.

"If we were to start spring training games up tomorrow, he'd probably be ready to go," manager Aaron Boone told the YES Network on Monday.

Stanton, who has continued to prepare for the season at the club's spring training facility in Tampa (though things could change for him and other players soon), was among a group of Yankees who were hitting last week under the watchful eye of hitting coach Marcus Thames.

Rays ace Blake Snell is a Cy Young winner and one of the best pitchers in the American League. His stuff on the mound is dangerous when it's on, and the Yankees have to see him more than other teams being in the AL East. 

But, during a live stream on SportsCenter's Instagram, Snell began talking about hitters he actually hates to face. And one of them is Aaron Judge. 

Snell explained to former NBA star Richard Jefferson why he hates facing Judge, and his answer isn't just because the 6-foot-7 slugger can hit a mistake pitch from him a country mile. 

With new directives potentially coming from the state of Florida in their efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus, the situation at the Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa could be up in the air.

It's possible that fitness centers will be closed soon in the state, with there also potentially being a shelter-in-place order from Hillsborough County, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, who reports that some of the players still working out at the facility are concerned about it shutting down.

"I don't know. That's something I am going to have to think about. Maybe Arizona," Tyler Wade told Ackert about where he might go if the facility closes. "I think a lot of guys are going out there. Hopefully, maybe since our numbers are small, I mean there's three of us, four of us in there not counting the rehab guys. They are doing their thing in the training room... so we're never this close to each other. So hopefully it's beneficial to us."

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

There has been no update from MLB since they released their latest mandate of banning organized workouts at spring camps, as social distancing and even self-quarantining has been the norm for not just players but everyone in the country. 

But when things do return to normal and MLB is allowed to kick off their 2020 season -- whatever that may look like -- the Yankees will have a few roster decisions to make before baseball resumes. 

So while his players are working in any way they can during these tough times, manager Aaron Boone will have to think about issues with his roster and lineup such as...

While we don't know when baseball will be back -- or how long the season will be when it returns -- one Yankees legend doesn't think a team winning a World Series title during a super abbreviated season should carry much weight.

"I don't think you can play a 60-game season and you call yourself a champion," Mariano Rivera said while appearing on ESPN New York's The Michael Kay Show on Friday.

The five-time World Series champion added: "Anything can happen in 60 games. I don't think it's enough. People don't play on all cylinders, the whole teams are different. I don't know. It's a great question, because I don't know what's going to happen if the season is starting in June or July."

As I write this, there was supposed to be just six days until Opening Day. However, the coronavirus pandemic has suspended the season indefinitely. 

MLB is doing what the rest of us are (hopefully) doing in taking the right precautions to counteract the spread of the virus. The league's latest guildelines allows players to remain at their spring facilities if they'd like, but only use of the gym and training facilites are allowed. No more organizated workouts can take place. 

Players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and others are in still there to stay active and prepare for the season, while manager Aaron Boone is among those that drove home. It's a very sensitive and surreal situation, but it's what we all have to deal with at the moment. 

While giving an update on his injury status, Yankees OF Aaron Judge surprised reporters with yet another ailment he was dealing with. 

Judge's condition initially began as a "minor right shoulder problem," but turned into a stress fracture in his rib as well as shoulder pain. Now he told multiple reporters on Friday that he had, what MLB.com's Bryan Hoch called, pneumothorax. That's better known as a collapsed lung. 

It was undisclosed, but it doesn't matter now because it is "completely gone," said the All-Star. He is now allowed to fly if he so chooses. 

Though MLB players and coaches are allowed to return to their home cities if they so choose, many have found it easier to stay at their spring training facilities, including a few Yankees. 

Tyler Wade is one of those who has stayed in Tampa to participate in the very limited activities teams are allowed to do under MLB's guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. And he spoke to reporters on Friday about how that adjustment has been going.

Wade told The Post's George A. King III that he believes Tampa is "the safest place to be." The Yankees still have access to the gym and training facilities, but they're not allowed to have any organized group workouts, whether it is formal or informal. 

SNY contributor John Jastremski channels his inner Frank Costanza as he fields some Yankees questions and more in the latest edition of "Out of Office Replies."

Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu was at the team's complex at Steinbrenner field again on Thursday -- a day after hitting at the facility along with Giancarlo Stanton, Clint Frazier, and Tyler Wade.

And LeMahieu said Thursday that his plan is to stay in Tampa for the foreseeable future.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, LeMahieu said being able to work out at Steinbrenner Field is keeping him "sane" admist the coronavirus shutdown, adding that the gyms are closed in Michigan (where he lives) and the weather is better in Florida.

While Yankees manager Aaron Boone, much of his staff, and a bunch of players left spring training in Tampa on Tuesday to head home, there are still coaches and players who continue to prepare for the season at Steinbrenner Field.

The four players who were there hitting on Wednesday were Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, Clint Frazier, and Tyler Wade, according to hitting coach Marcus Thames.

Stanton, who had resumed baseball activities on March 7 as he worked his way back from a calf strain, will almost certainly be ready for Opening Day now that the season has been pushed back to the second week of May at the earliest.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The United States continues to feel the impact of coronavirus, even moreso than a week ago when MLB and the rest of the major sports leagues shut down. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 6,519 known coronavirus cases in the U.S., with New York (1,717 confirmed cases) having the most in the country. Some cities, including San Francisco, have ordered residents to shelter in place. And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in the city could be in early-May. 

Earlier this week, in accordance with CDC guidelines recommending for people to practice social distancing, MLB pushed back the start of the regular season even further than the April 9 start date. The second week of May is now the earliest the season will start, and the wait could be much longer.

Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |

We don't know for certain when the 2020 MLB season will get underway, as everyone's main priority is stopping the coronavirus spread throughout the country. 

But when it eventually does, the Yankees have a few players who need to step up big time. Or it could be a lost season. 

And it isn't as dramatic as it sounds. A lost season for the Yankees means not reaching the World Series because, well, that's what this stacked roster is more than capable of achieving. These catalysts, x-factors, pivot players -- whatever you want to call them -- are present on the Yankees depsite so much talent on the roster. 

While nothing is officially set in stone, all indications are that Jets' long-time enemy Tom Brady is heading to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officially ending one of the most successful two-decade runs in the history of professional sports.

And it sounds like maybe Jets fans should be thanking... Derek Jeter?

With Tampa expected to land Brady on a deal reportedly worth roughly $30 million a year, it sounds as if the former Yankees captain may have been part of Brady's decision-making. 

Amidst the MLB shutdown due to coronavirus, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, part of his coaching staff, and several players departed the team's spring training complex in Tampa on Tuesday to head home.

Saying "stay safe, y'all" as he pulled away, Boone had said Monday that he was preparing to depart spring training to head back north.

According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the majority of the Yankees' coaching staff was leaving to head home on Tuesday in addition to Boone.

On Tuesday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that all 30 teams are donating $1 million each to assist ballpark employees affected by the delayed start to the 2020 season. 

"Over the past 48 hours, I have been approached by representatives of all 30 clubs to help assist the thousands of ballpark employees affected by the delay in the start of the Major League Baseball season," Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Motivated by a desire to help some of the most valuable members of the baseball community, each Club has committed $1 million. The individual clubs will be announcing more details surrounding this support effort in their local communities.

"The timing of these announcements will vary because of the need to coordinate with state and local laws as well as collective bargaining obligations in an effort to maximize the benefits realized by each group of employees. I am proud that our clubs came together so quickly and uniformly to support these individuals who provide so much to the game we love."

A second Yankees minor leaguer has tested positive for coronavirus, the team confirmed on Tuesday evening.

"We can confirm that a second minor league player from our Player Development complex has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus," the Yankees said in a team statement. "While under self-quarantine, the player reported fatigue and an elevated body temperature to Yankees medical personnel. The test was administered on Sunday, and the player returned to self-quarantine following the positive results. We can also report that within the past 48 hours his symptoms have dissipated.  

"We will continue to follow all protocols and recommendations established by local and federal public health experts and Major League Baseball."

MLB is making is very hard for teams to continue their preparation for the upcoming 2020 regular season -- whenever that may be -- due to coronavirus precautions. And because of that, Yankees manager Aaron Boone doesn't really see a point in staying at the team's Tampa facility. 

Speaking on MLB Network radio on Monday, Boone said it "is becoming harder and harder" for teams to have workouts due to MLB's latest mandate that strongly recommends no group workouts. The team's gym and training facility is still open to players, but those informal workouts that they were participating in have since been banned. 

So Boone said he plans on returning to New York on either Tuesday or Wednesday, and do what the rest of us are doing: waiting. 

Anthony McCarron, SNY.tv | Twitter |

After bagging Gerrit Cole on the free agent market over the winter, the expectations are sky-high for the Yankees in 2020. They've got their October lion to front a playoff rotation and the big bats to back him for what could be a deep postseason run, maybe even all the way to a ticker-tape parade.

What key statistics could fuel the ride? Or derail it? We've spent much of the spring hand-wringing over Yankee injuries (again) and while the club's roster seems deep enough for another season of subsisting on subs, who knows what will happen? 

Just like last year, Injured List numbers will impact the Yankees' season. While we wait for baseball to resume, and it could be a while, let's chew on that and three other numbers that could make or break a pinstriped season:

MLB announced Monday afternoon that Opening Day will be pushed back even further, following the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to restrict events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks during the coronavirus pandemic.

The earliest the season could kick off would now be mid-May, but MLB's statement added that the clubs remain "committed to playing as many games as possible when the season begins." 

The season had already been delayed at least two weeks, with "social distancing" recommended over the weekend by MLB for spring training workouts for players who remain at team sites. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke with several reporters on Sunday to discuss a few topics, with the minor leaguer that tested postive for coronavirus at the forefront. 

It was revealed on Sunday that a Yankees minor leaguer that hasn't been named yet tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Cashman said the player was immediately quarantined, and that's where he remains. After learning of the positive test, the Yankees' minor league facility was shut down at 11 a.m., per The New York Times' James Wagner.

In turn, Cashman added that the minor league facility has been shut down through March 25, and players will be getting food sent to their rooms. Also, minor league players and staff are self-quarantining themselves, while Cashman said just one coronavirus test was administered. 

Like every other team around the league, the Yankees will be affected by the latest memo MLB released regarding player and staff safety due to the coronavirus. 

The new protocols are banning group workouts at any facility, as the league wants teams to practice "social distancing" as best they can. Brett Gardner and DJ LeMahieu were among Yankees that got together on Saturday to put in work during an informal workout. 

But soon players on the 40-man roster may be told to leave the facility, just as minor leaguers have been instructed to do league-wide. The Yankees also have the first known coronavirus case in MLB in their system, as multiple reports say a minor leaguer tested positive and was quarantined on Friday. 

A Yankees minor leaguer has tested positive for coronavirus, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The case is the first known positive test of any player in the majors or minors.

According to Passan, the Yankees player who tested positive was only on the minor league side at the team's spring training facility, and was quarantined on Friday after reporting that he had a fever.

Mets front office executive Donovan Mitchell Sr. was tested for coronavirus last week after his son, Donovan, tested positive. Mitchell Sr.'s test came back negative.

MLB has released their latest memo regarding the safety of its players and staff members with coronavirus concerns still the top priority of the league. And their suggested guidelines are even more strict than shutting down spring training. 

Players have been working out at their spring training facilities despite games being cancelled as well as the delay of the regular season. But MLB really wants its players and staff members to adopt stricter use of "social distancing," and that would seize any group or individual workouts at camps. 

"The strong recommendation from our infectious disease and public health experts is that Clubs should avoid all activities in which players congregate in significant numbers or are otherwise unable to practice the "social distancing" protocols recommended by the CDC," the memo read, thanks to The Athletic's Evan Drellich. "The risk of a player in a Club facility contracting the virus is real, and we must implement protocols to protect the safety and well-being of our players and staff members. In addition, we must recognize that there is the potential for further federal and state restrictions that will impact our operations, including restrictions on travel."

On Saturday morning, the Yankees held their first informal workout in Tampa since the spread of coronavirus shut down spring training.

According to Kristie Ackert of the Daily News, position players such as DJ LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade, Brett Gardner, and Clint Frazier were in attendance, as were pitchers Luis Cessa, Chad Green, and Jonathan Holder.

There was no media allowed at the workout, but players could be seen through a chain link fence from a distance. 

With the remainder of spring training canceled, and the regular season being delayed by at least two weeks due to coronavirus concerns, the Yankees will stay in Tampa.

General manager Brian Cashman said the team was given the option to return home or to their Major League home city, or remain in their spring training city, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Lefty reliever Zack Britton said the vote to stay in Tampa was unanimous, according to NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty and the New York Post's George A. King.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

MLB announced on Thursday that it was suspending operations and would delay the regular season by at least two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. A day later, the key phrase in that announcement was clearly "at least."

Team executives and employees are scrambling to formulate plans, but conversations over the past 24 hours with multiple club officials revealed a common thread:

No one in baseball seems to expect games in April. The state of Illinois has already banned large public gatherings until May, and it stands to reason that more states could follow. No one knows how long the pandemic will disrupt everyday life, and the league hasn't made any concrete plans for how to move forward.

In the wake of MLB suspending spring training and delaying the start of the regular season by at least two weeks, teams are still processing what the next month -- or beyond -- is going to look like, so Friday afternoon, the Yankees released a statement reaching out to their fans to give an update of sorts.

Here's the full press release from the Yankees: 

Yesterday Major League Baseball announced the suspension of spring training games and a delay of at least two weeks to the start of the 2020 regular season due to the national emergency created by the Coronavirus pandemic. The Yankees fully support this decision and will continue to proactively monitor current events in conjunction with medical experts, government officials and Major League Baseball.

With MLB cancelling all spring training games starting at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, the Yankees managed to come away with a win in one last contest, defeating the Nationals, 6-3, on the road. >> Box score

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

1) Jonathan Loaisiga is fighting for a roster spot and he had a solid start in this one. Going three innings, his only blunder was a solo homer to Victor Robles in the bottom of the third. That was the only hit he allowed, while striking out three and walking one over that span. He has a 2.70 ERA this spring.

Following the lead of the other major sports leagues, MLB announced that all spring training games have been cancelled, and they will delay the start of the 2020 regular season at least two weeks due to coronavirus concerns. 

Starting at 4 p.m. EST, spring training games will not be played, as MLB will continue to evaluate the situation. The decision came after a call with all 30 teams and consulting the MLBPA. 

While guidelines for players regarding workouts and daily operations are still up in the air, The Post's Joel Sherman reported earlier that the league will be asking players to stay at their spring training sites so that they don't scatter across the country. The virus makes flying one of the most dangerous things to do at the moment. 

Major League Baseball executives expect spring training to be suspended after Thursday, according to SNY's Andy Martino. 

Martino reports it's unclear what happens to players still, but an announcement is expected to be made Thursday afternoon to provide more clarity on the situation. 

The Yankees are scheduled to play the Tigers Friday at 6:35 p.m. 

Yankees OF Aaron Judge is working his way back from a stress fracture of his first right rib. Here's the latest...

Mar. 12, 11:43 AM:

Judge said on Thursday that he is continuing treatment and doing light training, and will get a CT scan before he resumes hitting, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. 

"I'm feeling great," Judge said. "We're progressing really well. I feel like I might be ahead of schedule. I don't know what the schedule is, but I'm kind of pushing there -- the timeline -- as much as I can."