MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees made the promotion of Spencer Jones official yesterday. The top prospect replaced Jasson Domínguez, who sprained his AC joint during Thursday’s game. Jones DH’d and batted sixth in his debut, going 0-for-2 with a walk against fireballer Jacob Misiorowski, who had little issue with the rest of the Yankees’ lineup as well.
He was joined by right-handed reliever Kervin Castro, who made 20 appearances between 2021 and 2022 with the Giants and Cubs but until last night had not made a single MLB appearance since then, a span of 1,357 days. Castro replaced Brendan Beck, who was always expected to get sent down after making his MLB debut in a spot start.
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SNY | John Flanigan: Ahead of Jones’ debut, his manager sang his praises. “He fits in really well with the guys,” Aaron Boone said before the game. “He’s gotten off to a really nice start this year down in Triple-A, has been really productive with the bat, and earned the opportunity to be here.
Boone also explained the decision to ease the center fielder in at DH. ”I just want him to focus on having good at-bats,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going up against a great pitcher here tonight, but just as much as you can, you take what you’ve been doing and apply it up here.” The skipper added that Jones would be in play in the field as time progresses.
Baseball Prospectus | Smith Brickner & Timothy Jackson: ($) Upon his call-up, a recap of the scouting report that has made Jones the Yankees’ “most polarizing prospect in perhaps a decade.” A steep attack angle has contributed to low contact and high chase rates, a difficult combination to transcend. The question — is his power legit enough to make it work? Timothy and our old friend Smith compare Jones with Munetaka Murakami, who’s hitting .237 but already has 14 homers. Unlike Murakami, though, Jones figures to provide value with his speed and defense, making him a fascinating test case for a singular all-around profile.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: In other injury news, Luis Gil landed on the minor-league IL with shoulder inflammation Friday, continuing a brutal start to the 2026 season. The right-hander will be shut down for at least three weeks. Considering the layoff, it’ll likely be at least six weeks before he sees game action again. Boone stressed that he did not think the injury played a role in the since-demoted Gil’s struggles with the Yankees. He posted a 6.05 ERA in four starts with the big club, calling into question his future as an MLB starter after an already-uneven 2025.
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MLB.com | Mike Lupica: In advance of his ninth start Friday, a celebration of Max Fried. His steady dominance has already made his signing a massive success, and Lupica talks with David Cone about the lefty ace. The broadcaster and former pitcher highlights both Fried’s stuff (“He is a movement specialist. Subtle variations of cutters and sinkers working off each other. With a Koufax curve in his back pocket.”) and his mentality (“Max is smart and curious. And never satisfied.”).
