Yankees’ Marcus Stroman Returns to the Mound

The Yankees are giving Marcus Stroman another shot as he takes the mound against the A’s this Sunday. They’re hoping he can perform better in the big leagues compared to what he showed during his minor league rehab assignments.

Stroman has been out with inflammation in his left knee and managed only three starts early in the season. Although he faced difficulties in his last outing with Double-A Somerset, both he and manager Aaron Boone are optimistic about his performance against the A’s.

“It’s definitely a bit of a balancing act, making sure my knees are moving well,” Stroman mentioned about his rehab process. “I feel it well in my arms and body,” he added, noting how crucial strength is for him. He’s looking forward to getting back in the game.

Reflecting on his past injury—specifically the torn ACL while with the Blue Jays in 2015—Stroman acknowledged that he’s learned how to handle knee discomfort better over the years. This includes perfecting his mechanics. “When I’m mechanically efficient, there’s less stress on my knees,” he explained.

In a recent decision, the Yankees opted to start Stroman instead of Alan Winans, who gave up four runs in just over four innings in his previous game after being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Unfortunately, Stroman’s return does come amidst some ups and downs for the team. Giancarlo Stanton, who’s been dealing with elbow tendonitis since spring training, hasn’t hit a home run yet. However, Boone is optimistic about Stanton’s recent performance. “He hasn’t cleared the fence yet, but he’s made solid contact several times,” Boone said. “He’s looking really good to me; it seems like he’s right on the verge of breaking out.”

For Stanton, the stats aren’t as encouraging—he’s recorded just one extra-base hit in 38 plate appearances so far.

In other news, tensions flared during the game, as Ian Hamilton had an emotional moment involving rookie Jacob Wilson. Hamilton said, “It was a bad inning. I was mad, and I snapped a bit.” Wilson, not taking it lightly, responded with anger.

Speaking of rookies, Jasson Domínguez faced left-hander JP Sears recently. Boone is positive about Domínguez’s steady growth but noted that while he’s performed well defensively and has shown striking quality from both sides of the plate, his OPS stats tell a different story. As Boone said, “The quality of his hits is there, but he’s still figuring things out.”