NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees have gotten off to a good start in their road trip, winning the first two games against the St. Louis Cardinals, and they’ve done it without one of their hottest bats. Giancarlo Stanton has been playing the outfield again with Aaron Judge limited to DH duty, but he hasn’t played in either of these two games as manager Aaron Boone noted that Stanton was recovering “just a little tougher after the last one” and that Busch Stadium’s spacious outfield was also a factor in the decision. For now it’s just something to monitor, but given the history of Stanton’s injuries and the Yankees’ willingness to play down initial reads on injuries there’s reason to be concerned.
Sporting News | Billy Heyen: Ben Rice had a monster game on Saturday, driving in seven runs in a 3-for-5 day highlighted by his three-run home run in the fourth inning. It was his second career 7-RBI day, matching the total he put up on July 7th last year against the Red Sox in what was the breakout game of his rookie season. In doing so, he became just the second Yankee first baseman to ever record multiple games with seven or more RBI, joining the Iron Horse Lou Gehrig in an exclusive club. Gehrig accomplished the feat nine times in his Hall of Fame career, so while Rice has some catching up to do still he’s made an impressive mark in the franchise’s history.
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: There’s an impending roster crunch coming with two key relievers getting close to coming back, and the Yankees have an interesting choice to make. Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz are both on rehab assignments with Triple-A Scranton, and Jonathan Loáisiga has started a throwing program. The first two are both likely to be ready before rosters expand on September 1st, and Loáisiga might be ready by then as well, meaning the Yankees would need to find three spots with only two relievers capable of being optioned to the minors: Brent Headrick and Yerry De Los Santos. On top of that, Headrick and De Los Santos have been very effective as of late, so it’ll be a tough decision whether they’d want to demote both of them or not. They could stall out Yarbrough’s rehab a bit by stretching him out for a starter’s role like he filled in for earlier in the year, even though he’s unlikely to slot back in there without another injury popping up.
The Athletic | Tyler Holzhammer: With Cal Raleigh threatening to post a 60 homer season in the American League, something seen only three times in baseball history, Holzhammer stayed on theme with his weekly sports card highlight. The 1961 Roger Maris Topps card is a highly sought-after piece for collectors thanks to his then-record setting season with the Yankees with only one copy ever receiving a PSA 10 grade. PSA 8 cards have gone for upwards of $1,000 and PSA 9 cards have recently gone for over $10,000. Always check those boxes of baseball cards up in the attic, folks — you never know when you could be sitting on a gem.