NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankee rotation has been elite nearly all season, but they just haven’t been able to be at full strength at any point during their dominant run. Monday was the closest they’d come yet, as Carlos Rodón was set to return today following a strong outing in his latest rehab start for Double-A Somerset, but then news dropped that Max Fried was returning to the IL with a bone bruise in his elbow. This is the same injury that shelved Fried from mid-May well into July, though it’s unclear at this time if it’s a re-aggravation of the old injury or a new one altogether. Regardless, the Yankees will slot Rodón into Fried’s place in the rotation and keep the line moving, ensuring that the long-awaited decision on who would get moved to the bullpen gets punted down the road once again.
Baseball America | Eli-Ben Porat ($): BA took a look at two Yankees prospects having made different but remarkable strides this season. Antonio Gomez has converted into a pitcher after coming up through the system as a catcher, and his 70-grade arm strength behind the plate has transferred over remarkably into a reliever with 80-grade velocity and a pair of plus-pitches. He’s still got a ways to go in his journey to the majors, but Marco Luciano could be knocking on the door after reviving his prospects with New York this season following a move to second base. The position could be in a state of flux this offseason, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. is scheduled to hit free agency and Anthony Volpe is practicing there as well following his ouster from being the full-time shortstop, but Luciano’s power tool is enticing and he’s redefined his process of attacking pitches while still keeping his chase rates in line. If you’ve got a BA subscription, it’s worth a read at what two under the radar guys have done.
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ESPN | Jeff Passan: The world has been saying their goodbyes to an icon of the sport since Saturday when Tommy John passed away at the age of 83, and Passan praises the life of a man whose name may be the most synonymous with modern baseball. As he put it: “Every day during baseball season, and plenty in the offseason, Tommy John — always his first and last name together — is talked about, written about, bandied about.” He’s absolutely correct, and the sport would not have had the pitching evolution we’ve experienced over the last decade or so without the risk that Tommy John took in agreeing to the procedure he’d become the moniker for. Rest easy to a legend of the sport.
NJ.com | Jerry Izenberg: Baseball is heading to a bitter labor dispute after this season, and that comes as no surprise to anyone. Though the commissioner may have gotten his start in labor relations Rob Manfred now works first and foremost for the good of the owners, which to be clear is by design. The Players’ Union has a united front on battling against a salary cap but they lack a front-facing leader after the scandalous resignation of Tony Clark, and I think that may be felt in how their message has gotten lost on some fans who see millionaires complaining and a lone team flexing their financial might to long-term success. Izenberg takes us on a journey to remember the advocate for the game that Casey Stengel was, and bemoans that the fans don’t have an icon quite like him in the game today.
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