New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: Among the many positives to come out of the Yankees’ sweep of the Red Sox was the first homer of the year from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who saw his OPS rise almost 60 points during the series. Chisholm credited a small mechanical tweak as a possible reason for his improved play over that span, saying that he opened up his stance and backed off the plate a little bit. “Probably his best group of at-bats, especially off some tough lefty matchups there,” Aaron Boone said of Chisholm this week.
On cue, Chisholm went out and had his best game of the year in last night’s demolition of the Astros, reaching base four times and hitting his second homer. Let’s hope this version of Chisholm is here to stay.
MLB.com | Steve Schaffer: Giancarlo Stanton exited last night’s game in Houston after appearing to suffer a leg injury running the bases. It’s the kind of injury we’ve all come to expect from Stanton at some point nearly each year, but it’s always disheartening when it actually happens. Stanton’s injury was later reported as “right lower leg tightness,” with Boone saying it was related to the calf.
ESPN | David Schoenfield and Jorge Castillo: This week’s series at Fenway Park highlighted the divergent fates of the Yankees and Red Sox so far this season. ESPN spelled out exactly what’s gone right in New York and what’s gone wrong in Boston, with the Yankees’ starting rotation and Boston’s lack of bop the main storylines. The Red Sox also have concerns about their ace Garrett Crochet, who’s gotten absolutely crushed in his last two starts. Boston will likely pull it together at some point, but for now, it’s not so bad to see the Yankees’ rivals eight games back in the AL East standings.
MLB.com | Shanthi Sepe-Cheperu: Gerrit Cole’s steady journey back to the bigs continued on Thursday night, the right-hander taking the ball for High-A Hudson Valley and tossing 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Cole got up to 52 pitches (42 strikes), after throwing 44 pitches in his first rehab start. The Yankees are working him up slowly and carefully, and he appears to remain on track for a return to the majors in roughly a month if all goes to plan.
As if it was 2024 again, Cole was followed in Hudson Valley by Carlos Rodón last night, making his first pro appearances of 2026. In 4.1 innings of his own, he threw shutout ball, struck out four, and allowed one hit and a walk across 65 pitches. The Yankees expect that he’ll need just two more rehab starts before returning to the rotation from his much-less-serious elbow surgery.
MLB.com | Jason Catania: What should the Yankees do with Spencer Jones? It’s a question we’ve asked many times before, and probably will ask many times more. The options are pretty clear: bring him up to the majors, continue to let him develop at Triple-A, or trade him for immediate veteran reinforcement. The most likely outcome for now is the status quo, with Jones remaining in the minors to try and refine the rougher edges of his game, but anything is possible come the summer, when the Yankees will presumably be shopping at the deadline.
