The New York Yankees lost to the division rival Baltimore Orioles today, also dropping the series. But the worst news was that ace Max Fried was out in his debut after throwing only 61 pitches. He was initially diagnosed with pain in the back of his left elbow. Fried will undergo imaging in New York on Thursday to determine the severity of the problem.

That being said, Fried isn’t too worried. He publicly stated that he would love to make his next debut but is not sure that will happen. It’s possible he’ll lose more time than that. More will be known after examination by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmed on Thursday.

Fried has struggled with his command for most of 2026. He still managed to be an effective starter, posting a 3.21 ERA in 61 2/3 innings. But Fried has only 50 strikeouts in that many innings. It’s not like that He Unusual for the Southeast. He was never a true strikeout pitcher, never reaching the 200-plus strikeout mark in his 10-year career.

In May, Fried gave up 11 runs in just 14 1/3 innings. At least it can be said that this has been a difficult period. It’s possible that the IL stint could help him bounce back from his recent tough times. But the Yanks really can’t afford to lose any positions right now. Although they are in second place in the American League East with a strong 27–17 record, New York has a 4–6 record in their last ten games. This includes a recent road trip in which they went 1-5. The Yankees need to bounce back, and losing Fried won’t help.

The return of Rodan…and possibly Cole?

The good news for New York is that they don’t have to look far to find rotation help. With Carlos Rodon making his 2026 debut on Sunday, the Yankees have an immediate option until Fried returns. Rodon did not pitch particularly well in his debut against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings, but was mostly solid. His biggest problems were command, struggling to find the zone and walking five batters.

Rodon has emerged as a front-line rotation option for New York over the past two years. The lefty has a 3.50 ERA since 2024-25 (370.1 IP). It has been a rollercoaster career for the veteran player, who has battled injuries for most of his 12-year career. Now that Rodon is finally back, he will need to become a dominant pitcher if the Yanks hope to secure the AL East.

Gerrit Cole, on the other hand, is still in rehabilitation after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. His rehab has been solid, recording a 5.32 ERA (23.2 IP) during his time in New York’s minor league system. Cole will reportedly make his return in late May or early June, although his timeline has changed several times, so this is subject to change.

Cole is a famous pitcher in MLB. He has posted a 3.18 ERA and had 2,251 strikeouts over his long career (1,954.0 IP). Due to injury he has not competed in major competitions since 2024, but has enjoyed success in recent years despite his age. If Cole returns soon, it would be a big boost for the Yankees’ rotation.

An MLB prospect expert believes New York Yankees Triple-A star Spencer Jones has a lot of potential. But he also believes that this young player could easily flop in the Bronx.

This week, Jason Dominguez endeared himself to Yankees fans when he went all out to make a catch during a game against the Texas Rangers. In the process of making possibly the best catch of his career, he sprained a low-grade left AC joint in his knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.

To fill his spot on the roster, the Yankees are pulling the trigger on something New York fans have wanted to see for a few years: top star Aaron Judge in the same outfield with stud prospect Spencer Jones. The pair of 6-foot-7 sluggers will now bookend the Yanks’ outfield for the foreseeable future.

Yankees fans have heard about Jones and his big power over the years. He has been a top prospect in their system and has been close to untouchable as a minor leaguer for the franchise. So, expectations are high as he joins a 26-12 team.

Could Spencer Jones be the next Race Hinds?

Baseball America editor-in-chief JJ Cooper spoke after news of his promotion on Friday foul territory show Regarding Jones, prospect experts admitted that Jones “scares” them because, in their time in this role, they have never seen a player with such a wide range of possible career outcomes.

He made it clear that he would never come close to being as good as Judge, but he believed he could become a player who hits 25 to 30 homers in the big leagues. But he also said his performance could be similar to that of Cincinnati Reds prospect Race Hinds. A player who was a beast in the minors but has a .172 average in 51 games played over the last three seasons.

The big reason he’s so unsure about Jones is not just his high strikeout rate that could lead to 0-4 with 4 Ks days, but it’s his miss rate in the zone. Jones is one of the top picks in the minor leagues. Cooper concluded by saying that Spencer Jones’ promotion to the Yankees’ big league roster this week carries “massive potential but also massive risk.”

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

While the New York Yankees classic jerseys are iconic in MLB circles, it seems like the team’s players are a little bored with the look and would like some alternatives.

There are only a few sports brands that are known not only nationally, but across the world. The Yankees are one of them. Caps and shirts bearing their branding are worn all over the world as the club has become synonymous with winning after bringing home 27 MLB championships.

The franchise is also one of the oldest in the United States, having first graced the diamond in 1903 as the New York Highlanders. Their famous pinstripes are almost as old and were introduced in 1912. It’s a vintage look that ownership loves, and they’re the only team in the league that doesn’t use alternate jerseys. Even their rivals for over 100 years, the Boston Red Sox, have alternate uniforms.

But times change. Last year, for the first time in nearly 50 years, the Yankees allowed their players to grow beards. It seems that the move in a more modern direction may have prompted New York’s players to request another major change for the team.

New York Yankees players want alternative road jerseys

According to The Athletic, “New York Yankees players recently showed off the team by wearing alternate jerseys for the first time in franchise history.”

Now, the pitch rarely had to stray far from their classic home pinstripes. Instead, a request was made to get different jersey options for road games. The Yankees have long worn gray uniforms with New York written on them for road games.

Furthermore, the pitch was not for them to indulge in the wild designs that other teams have used for the annual City Connect alternate jerseys. Instead, Yankees players asked for permission to use their navy batting practice jerseys as a substitute.

This seems like a reasonable request that doesn’t mess with their iconic home form and spice up a very boring presentation for road games. It will be interesting to see if the Steinbrenner family accepts their players’ petition.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was seen enjoying a New York Yankees game in a luxury suite at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, while thousands of federal workers remained without pay for a sixth week due to the prolonged government shutdown.

How bad is this? even tmz sports This has been described as a “swing and miss”.

However, fans sure as heck don’t care.

The Bronx Democrat was in the second week of her paid congressional vacation while attending a rain-delayed game against the Miami Marlins. Fans spotted them and took some selfies.

“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez looked gorgeous at the Yankees game tonight,” one fan wrote on X.

BREAKING: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was spotted looking gorgeous at the Yankees game tonight. pic.twitter.com/y4txEZejoN

— ً (@am4rrt) 6 April 2026

Yankees are living large in luxury suite during government shutdown

sources told New York Post That AOC watched the game from a private suite rather than from the bleachers with the fans. The Knockouts former bartender was seen wearing a Yankees cap and a dark navy and white striped sweater as she posed for selfies with clearly excited fans.

I still can’t believe it in me and @stantonispookie Met AOC today pic.twitter.com/QFcqxY4DQW

– me (@jj_jov) 6 April 2026

Read more:

The optics have drawn sharp criticism amid the Democrat-led shutdown, which has left nearly 35,000 federal employees — including DHS employees, FEMA employees, U.S. Coast Guard members and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency employees — unpaid in some cases for up to 48 days.

While the AOC was resting comfortably during the long rain delays, many of its employees are trying to cope with mounting bills and financial hardship at home.

TMZ noted the widespread context of lawmakers joining Congress on a paid vacation, while others were vacationing in places like Las Vegas, Scotland, the Caribbean and Disney World.

“Buy him some peanuts and Cracker Jack,” he quipped, while thousands of federal employees are still unpaid.

Oops.

The contest itself was a scrappy affair, delayed for more than three and a half hours due to heavy rain, before the Yankees ultimately lost to the Marlins 7–6 after blowing a three-run lead.

AOC has not commented publicly on their presence in the game or responded to inquiries regarding the impact of the shutdown on their components.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

The New York Yankees had a relatively quiet offseason, mainly only re-signing their key players and making small changes to the bullpen ahead of the 2026 MLB season. However, this obviously only came after the club was successful in their blockbuster trade.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees made a run to acquire starting pitcher Paul Skenes from the Pittsburgh Pirates before the MLB trade deadline. The club’s search was fueled by the belief that Skenes eventually wanted to pitch for New York.

RELATED: Best MLB Pitchers 2026, Including Paul Skenes

However, according to Heyman, the attempt to acquire Skenes was immediately rejected. Pittsburgh shut down negotiations before they began, not even allowing New York to make an offer on Skenes. It has since been made clear to the league’s teams that Skane is not available.

Heyman says New York has not given up hope of landing the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. He will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter and with two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Subal being awarded a $32 million salary in his final year of arbitration, there is at least some expectation that Skane’s salary and long-term contract demands will be too much for Pittsburgh.

RELATED: MLB Predictions 2026

With MLB expected to eventually impose a salary cap under the next collective bargaining agreement, Pittsburgh has demonstrated a greater willingness to spend. The club acquired Brandon Lowe this offseason, while also adding Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna to further strengthen the lineup.

New York had also made a previous attempt to acquire Skubal from the Tigers. However, Detroit’s asking price was so exceptionally high that the Yankees abandoned their pursuit. For the time being, the club is moving forward with its current rotation, while keeping its options open for future additions to Scubble or Skenes.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

A new ranking of MLB’s pitching staff from a top insider puts the New York Yankees well ahead of the New York Mets, despite several key pitchers expected to miss significant time to start the new season.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Yankees and Mets this week leading up to the start of the new MLB season. Expectations are always high in the Bronx, and despite being eliminated in the Divisional Round in October and not making notable changes to the roster, many experts believe they still have a team that can reach the World Series.

The Mets, on the other hand, suffered a disastrous collapse at the end of the season, costing them a chance at a playoff spot. That disappointing finish surprisingly led to an overhaul of the coaching staff and roster for 2026. A big addition this offseason was Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

On paper, it seems like the Mets’ starting rotation is in a better position to start the 2026 season than the Yankees. Mainly because they are healthy. The Yanks will begin the campaign with one-time Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clark Schmidt all on the injured list and expected to miss the first few weeks or months of the season.

Bowden ranks the Yankees’ rotation as the third-best in MLB

However, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden doesn’t see it that way. On Tuesday, the outlet released the MLB Insider rankings of all 30 rotations, and the Mets cracked the top 10, but dropped to No. 9. The former general manager, of course, ranks above rookie Nolan MacLean and was a fan of his depth. However, he praised the Yankees far more.

“Despite those injuries, the Yankees still have a strong rotation to start the year, led by their top hitter Max Fried followed by right-hander Cam Shitler, right-hander Will Warren, newly acquired southpaw Ryan Weathers and former AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil,” he said of the rotation ranked No. 3 on his list.

“By the end of the season, they may have the best rotation in baseball, especially if Cole can return to his Cy Young Award-caliber form.”

The Mets have Peralta, Rookie of the Year favorite Nolan McLean and a pair of one-time All-Stars in Dave Peterson and Kodai Senga in the rotation. But Bowden still has more confidence in Will Warren, Cam Shitler, Lewis Girl and Ryan Weathers.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The St. Louis Cardinals showed with a new stadium deal that they care more about the fan experience at their games than the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers ever will.

Payroll and player salaries have spiraled out of control in MLB over the past six years. That is why there is speculation that there could be a lockout after the 2026 season. Still, when teams spend huge sums of money to build their rosters to win games, it’s the fans who really pay the price.

While salaries have increased drastically this decade, the price of tickets to see some of the most popular teams in baseball has also increased. Teams like the LA Dodgers ($177), NY Yankees ($105), Houston Astros ($133), Boston Red Sox ($132), and Chicago Cubs ($108) had the most expensive average ticket prices last season.

Still, one beloved franchise that often tries to avoid assessing value to its fans is the Cardinals. Last year, the average price to see a game at Busch Stadium was $88 – the 16th highest price in the league. With the franchise rebuilding, they clearly didn’t consider raising prices this year.

However, they have gone even further to make the fan experience more entertaining for fans during a difficult season.

Cardinals are offering $29 unlimited concession deal in 2026

This year, the Cardinals will offer a unique concession deal. For just $29, a fan can get unlimited Coke beverage products, unlimited hot dogs, unlimited peanuts, unlimited bratwursts, unlimited nachos, unlimited fries, unlimited chips, and unlimited other options. Of course, this doesn’t include the ticket price.

However, if you’re trying to bring a family to a game and keep everyone happy with some enjoyable food, it can get pretty pricey at an MLB ballpark. However, if you go to a Cardinals game this season you can load up a family of four for about $120. Additionally, there are several games this season where you can find seats in the $50 range.

While it won’t make the game on the field any better, the Cardinals are trying to do something to make ball games at Busch Stadium more enjoyable for families. It’s a deal that the LA Dodgers, NY Yankees and many other big-market clubs will never make as their goal is to make big money from tickets and concessions this summer.

Hopefully, if this is a hit, it will embarrass those clubs into trying something similar for their fans in future seasons.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

While he’s one of the best baseball players on the planet, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge didn’t hit a home run with his first World Baseball Classic pep talk as captain of Team USA.

In the NY Yankees’ more than a century-long history, they have only had 16 players named as their captain. It is a rare fraternity that has some of the greatest players to ever play in MLB, including Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Three-time AL MVP Judge is the latest Pinstripes great to receive this honor.

That’s why it wasn’t much of a surprise when Team USA manager Mark DeRosa decided to give Judge the same role for the 2026 WBC. The outfielder’s winning track record is undeniable, and outside of Shohei Ohtani, many view him as MLB’s best player.

With the tournament starting this week, the U.S. roster is in Houston looking to get on the same page before their game against Brazil on Friday. Unexpectedly, the captain spoke to the team and informed them about the mission ahead and motivated them to bring home the WBC title in a few weeks. Well, it looks like his pep talk wasn’t received well by baseball fans on the X.

Aaron Judge’s WBC speech mocked by baseball fans at X

The 33-year-old’s speech itself wasn’t bad. Judge made good points about the sacrifices required to win the tournament, but it lacked the kind of fire that some baseball fans wanted to see from the Team USA captain. And that led to some hilarious and harsh reactions from some people on X.

The Barstool Sports The company’s founder supported this when he wrote in a post, “Worst speech ever.”

Below, you can take a look at some of the more disgruntled comments from baseball fans about Aaron Judge’s WBC speech.

This speech will blow your mind

– NFL Legends (@PrimeEraNFL) 3 March 2026

Jesus Christ, id get it out of Team Canada

– Raslin Rob (@rob_bohanan) 3 March 2026

Why would they let anyone film this disaster? This should have been a closed room.

– Baseball Cards (@baseball_cards) 3 March 2026

He could have talked about his October successes to pump up the team… oh wait

– JP 🇩🇴🇺🇸 (@histino) 3 March 2026

This speech felt like complete insolence

– Phil Lip (@lip_philll) 3 March 2026

The greatest hitter of our generation and hardly anyone outside baseball knows who he is.

Sadly, having a void aura has its consequences.

– Lee (@latheredlippsy) 3 March 2026

The kind of speech that makes you sit back and relax

– Quintin (@Wonder_Shrimpy) 3 March 2026

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

With Jason Dominguez’s future with the New York Yankees unclear, a team insider revealed a teammate who could play a key role in uncovering the former No. 1 prospect in 2026.

A few years ago, NY Yankees fans kept hearing about Dominguez and his potential to become an All-Star in the big leagues. In 2021, he was the No. 1-ranked player in their system and was nicknamed “The Martian” because his immense talent as a five-tool player was out of this world.

That’s why there was so much excitement when he reached the big leagues in 2023. Unfortunately, he hasn’t even come close to living up to those expectations. Despite having shown great form in his game over the past three seasons, injuries, inconsistent play and poor defense in the outfield have left the Dominican at a career crossroads at just 23 years of age.

A year ago, Dominguez was locked into the starting role for Opening Day. However, this year, there’s a good chance he starts the season in Triple-A, as there is no clear path for him to move into the outfield or at designated hitter in 2026. This has led to much speculation that he could eventually be traded by the team that signed him when he was just 16 years old.

Can Ahmed Rosario help free Jason Dominguez in 2026?

However, this week, New York Post MLB insider Joel Sherman expressed some hope that the NY Yankees could get an impressive season from Dominguez. In a new “3 Things I Think” video post, Sherman revealed one unique asset that could benefit youth in a big way. And that’s former New York Mets star prospect turned journeyman Ahmed Rosario.

The Yankees insider explained that Rosario has become a respected veteran throughout the game, and what he brings to the locker room is why the NY Yankees made sure to re-sign him this offseason.

“This is a hard-working guy who has figured out how to maximize a career that didn’t exactly go the way he wanted. And Rosario is still just 30, because he came in at a very young age, like Domíguez,” Sherman said.

The NYP reporter reported that Dominguez is following Rosario around like a “puppy dog”, having a locker next to the nine-year veteran, and that this could teach him great lessons on finding ways to be an impact player for his team, even if he is not the star.

Sherman believes that if the NY Yankees coaches can improve his defense, it is possible for Dominguez to become a 20-homer and 20-stolen base player in 2026 and beyond.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos