Yankees

Akshita Patel

New York Yankees Fast Track Prospect Randy Vasquez Into Major League Amid Severe Injury Crisis

New York Yankees’ troubling relationship with the injury crisis is second to none. The crisis has solely resulted in the team’s unfortunate downfall this season. All the departments, be it the offense, the catching, or the pitching, have taken a strong hit in the aftermath of the whole tragedy. For once, the roster looked the one capable of bringing home the long-awaited World Series title. But fate had other plans.

Nevertheless, the Yankees are not backing down without a fight. The whole management has got on a mission to salvage the situation and do some damage control. The top brass led by Brian Cashman indulged in a trade and brought on board Greg Allen to solve the outfield crisis. Meanwhile, in a recent turn of events, the Yankees have called up a less experienced prospect from the minors to fill in the bullpen amid a shortage of starters.

   

Randy Vasquez To Feature In Major League As Yankees Fall Short Of Starters

Randy Vasquez (Yankees)
Randy Vasquez (David Gravely/The Southwest Times)

The New York Yankees’ pitching department suffered a lot prior to the start of the 2023 season. They lost nearly more than half of the starting rotation to injuries which prompted them to add additional responsibility to the bullpen. While the bullpen has done its job, the team is still low on enough members to fill in the 40-man roster. The recent suspension of starter Domingo German has left a hole for which the Yankees have called up minor league prospect Randy Vasquez to fill in.

Vasquez started his season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, wherein he recorded a 4.85 ERA in nine starts. Moreover, his ERA dropped to 2.67 in the last five starts. The 24-year-old has made a steady improvement over the course of the season. It is unclear for now whether the Yankees will use him as a starter or as a reliever. Nonetheless, the skipper, Aaron Boone, has confirmed that Randy will take the mound in some or the other capacity. The pitcher, on the other hand, looked highly surprised by the call-up and said he has been waiting his whole life to pitch into the big leagues. Hence, it is truly a dream come true. Let’s see what the young Dominican native will bring to the table.

A Tweak In Stride Changed The Fate Of Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Isiah Kiner-Falefa
The New York Yankees’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa hits a two-run single during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

When Yankees infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa entered the shortstop competition in spring training, he knew he stood no chance against the young guns and accepted his fate. He started working on the other aspects of the game and tried his hand in the outfield. Isiah’s athleticism shocked the Yankees’ management, who then devised a plan to transform the infielder into a utility player. It was a life-changing moment in Kiner-Falefa’s career.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa then worked with the Yankees instructor Nick Swisher and tweaked his stride by introducing a leg kick which helped him gain more control over his bat swing. It has worked so far for the utility player, who also revealed that he has been working behind the scenes to study the types of pitches he has struggled with. This helped Isiah prepare better and have an understanding of what to expect on the plate.