AL East

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is staying focused on helping his team win games rather than his individual pursuit of history.

Speaking to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Judge said he's "just playing the game I love" without keeping an eye on his own stat line.

"I've never played the game for the stats or to see how I line up in certain categories," the four-time All-Star added. "I play to win. Having that mindset motivates me."

Judge's pursuit of the American League home-run record has come amid a second-half slump by the Yankees.

After posting an MLB-best 64-28 record before the All-Star break, the Yankees are 23-30 since July 21. Their division lead that was at 15.5 games after a 12-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on July 8 is down to 4.5 games.

While the rest of his teammates search for answers amid their own struggles, Judge has actually played better in the second half than he did in the first half. After slashing .284/.364/.618 and recording 33 dingers in 89 games, the AL MVP front-runner is hitting .363/.500/.816 with 24 homers in 51 games since the break.

Judge's 57 homers overall are tied for the sixth-most in AL history. It also marks the most home runs by any player in a single season since Giancarlo Stanton hit 59 for the Miami Marlins in 2017.

In addition to his prodigious power output, Judge is currently leading all of MLB in RBI (123), on-base percentage (.415) and slugging percentage (.687). His .312 batting average is third in the AL, behind Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins (.317) and Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox (.315).

There's a possibility Judge could be the first player to win the triple crown title since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

Despite their extended slump, the Yankees are still a safe bet to make the postseason. They would need to have one of the biggest collapses in MLB history to fall behind the Seattle Mariners for the final wild-card spot in the AL.

Judge has been good enough to keep his team above water, but he will need additional support in October if the Yankees want to make a deep playoff run.

New York Yankees pitcher Frankie Montas will have an MRI on his shoulder after experiencing discomfort following Friday's start against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Montas said he's "optimistic" the injury isn't anything serious.

Montas was pulled from the start after allowing four hits, four walks and four earned runs in 3.1 innings.

The Yankees acquired Montas from the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 1. He was supposed to slot in behind Gerrit Cole to give the Bronx Bombers a dynamic one-two punch at the top of their starting rotation for the stretch run and a potential postseason berth.

Things haven't gone as planned for Montas in New York thus far. The right-hander has a 6.35 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 39.2 innings over eight starts.

During the 2021 season with the A's, Montas finished sixth in American League Cy Young voting. He set career highs in starts (32), innings (187.0), strikeouts (207) and FanGraphs' wins above replacement (4.0).

Montas looked like he was on track to have another excellent season in 2022 prior to the trade. He had a 3.18 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings over 19 starts.

Losing Montas for any length of time would put another dent in the Yankees' rotation depth. Luis Severino hasn't pitched in a game since July 13 because of a lat injury, though he is expected to make his return Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Despite some struggles in the second half of the season, the Yankees are still a safe bet to make the playoffs. They entered Saturday with a 5.5-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East with 18 games left to play.

If Montas has to go on the injured list or miss time, Clarke Schmidt could potentially move back into the rotation after making a couple of spot starts on Aug. 28 and Sept. 3.

The Toronto Blue Jays have Vladimir Guerrero Jr. under team control for three more years, but the two-time All-Star would like to be with the organization for a lot longer.

Speaking to Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star, Guerrero explained he "would love to play here my entire career."

"Since I got to the big leagues, I've always felt that way," Guerrero said through his interpreter, Hector Lebron. "Especially now when you start feeling the love from the fans and the city."

Coming into the year, Guerrero told a fan in his Instagram story that the Blue Jays had not offered him a long-term contract.

There have been a number of long-term deals signed by young players in recent years. Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year, $340 million extension with the San Diego Padres in February 2021.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (10 years, $212 million) and Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez (minimum eight years, $209 million) signed deals last month.

Guerrero is earning $7.9 million this season, his first year of arbitration. The 23-year-old's salary will increase exponentially if he continues to go through the arbitration process.

Based on track record, one could argue Guerrero deserves a more lucrative deal than Riley and Rodriguez. He finished second in American League MVP voting last season after leading the league with 48 homers, 123 runs, 363 total bases, a .401 on-base percentage and .601 slugging percentage.

Guerrero has also proved to be incredibly durable. Since 2020, he has only missed two total games.

The Blue Jays have $128.8 million in guaranteed salary commitments in 2023. The total doesn't include arbitration-eligible players such as Guerrero, Teoscar Hernandez, Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette.

This roster is going to start getting expensive, but it's hard to argue with the results they have produced on the field. The Blue Jays went 91-71 last season but missed the playoffs. They are currently in the top AL wild-card spot with an 82-63 record.

The New York Yankees announced Friday that they have reinstated left-hander Aroldis Chapman from the 15-day injured list and designated right-hander Ryan Weber for assignment.

Chapman was placed on the IL last month after suffering an infection from a new tattoo he had gotten.

Chapman's return is crucial for the New York bullpen as the Yankees look to gear up for the postseason.

The 34-year-old has been with the Yankees since 2017 and has earned three All-Star selections in his tenure in pinstripes. While he's undoubtedly past his prime, he's still an effective reliever and one New York will need down the stretch.

Chapman has posted a 4.70 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 30.2 innings across 36 games this season. He has also recorded nine saves.

In addition to Chapman, the Yankees may also possibly see the return of left-handed reliever Zack Britton ahead of the playoffs. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters earlier this week that he is "doing really well" in his recovery from elbow surgery.

Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga, Lucas Luetge and Lou Trivino are among the relievers that have helped hold down the bullpen this year.

The Yankees are first in the AL East with an 87-56 record entering Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, 6.5 games ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.

While the Bronx Bombers do have a sizable lead in the division, the team has struggled since the July All-Star break and doesn't look nearly as dominant as it did during the first half of the season.

However, it's worth noting the Yankees have won their last four games and appear to be trending in the right direction at just the right time. If the momentum can carry into the playoffs, they'll be one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

The Tampa Bay Rays made some history on Thursday by becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to start a lineup featuring all Latino players, according to Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida.

The Rays' starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays featured Yandy Diaz, Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco, Harold Ramirez, Manuel Margot, David Peralta, Isaac Paredes, Rene Pinto and Jose Siri.

The lineup also occurred on Roberto Clemente Day, which honors the Hall of Famer for paving the way for Latinos in MLB.

Clemente was one of the legendary Latino faces in baseball alongside those such as Juan Marichal and Fernando Valenzuela.

The Puerto Rican played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-72 and won two World Series titles, the NL MVP award in 1966, 12 Gold Gloves, four batting titles and earned 15 All-Star selections over his 18-year career.

In 2,433 games, he hit .317/.359/.475 with 240 home runs, 1,305 RBI and 83 stolen bases. The right fielder finished with exactly 3,000 hits.

Tampa Bay's all-Latino lineup is quite impressive and is headlined by Franco, a 21-year-old who signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with the Rays in November 2021.

Franco, who is from the Dominican Republic, entered Thursday's game hitting .263/.306/.394 with five home runs, 26 RBI and five stolen bases in 65 games this season. The shortstop finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021.

Arozarena, who is from Cuba, is another face of Tampa Bay's lineup. The right fielder won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and is hitting .265/.330/.450 with 19 home runs, 78 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 137 games this year.

Here is where the remainder of Tampa Bay's starting lineup is from and a look at their 2022 season numbers:

• 3B Yandy Diaz, Cuba: .295/.404/.421 with 8 HR, 51 RBI, 3 SB in 129 G
• 1B Harold Ramirez, Colombia: .318/.360/.429 with 6 HR, 54 RBI, 3 SB in 102 G
• DH Manuel Margot, Dominican Republic: .301/.351/.410 with 3 HR, 39 RBI, 6 SB in 72 G
• LF David Peralta, Venezuela: .252/.315/.430 with 12 HR, 52 RBI, 1 SB in 119 G
• 2B Isaac Paredes, Mexico: .214/.296/.453 with 18 HR, 40 RBI in 93 G
• C Rene Pinto, Venezuela: .206/.239/.309 with 2 HR, 9 RBI in 22 G
• CF Jose Siri, Dominican Republic: .210/.262/.335 with 5 HR, 19 RBI, 11 SB in 86 G

The Rays held a 4-0 lead over the Blue Jays in the bottom of the fourth inning. They entered Thursday's game third in the AL East with a 79-63 record and in the last AL wild-card spot.

If Aaron Judge is hoping to make the New York Yankees nervous about the possibility of retaining him in free agency, he is going about it in an excellent manner.

Following the Yankees' 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, Judge was asked about the possibility of signing with his team's biggest rival.

"Ooh," Judge told reporters with a smile. "We'll talk about that at the end of the year."

The American League MVP front-runner also lavished praise on Red Sox fans:

"They're some of the best in baseball. They're going to boo you, they're going to say some things, they're going to make you laugh. It's all part of it. A lot of great history here, and this is one of the best places to play, so it's always fun going out there and trying to put on a show for them."

Judge has already made a statement to the Yankees with a historic performance this season. He hit two more homers Tuesday, bringing his total to 57 through 142 team games.

The four-time All-Star is four homers away from tying Roger Maris for the most in a single season in American League history.

Aaron Judge hit his 57th HR this season, Judge is now T-5th for most home runs in a season in American League history. pic.twitter.com/ac18ZO0soi

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 14, 2022

Everything Judge says publicly at this point can be interpreted as a leverage play.

General manager Brian Cashman told reporters at the start of the season that Judge had rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million extension that would have started in 2023. It's rare for a GM in any sport to go on the record about contract details when no agreement was reached.

That decision by Judge looks like it will pay off. ESPN's Jeff Passan noted the 30-year-old "will get" more than $300 million from a club this offseason.

It's reasonable to assume the Yankees will be favored to retain their superstar center fielder, especially given his incredible campaign, but Judge's decision to leave the door open for Boston was a brilliant tactical strategy.

The Red Sox face the possibility of losing shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who can opt out of his deal to become a free agent this offseason. Third baseman Rafael Devers has one more year of arbitration before he can become a free agent.

If ownership and the front office want to get back some of the goodwill that was destroyed when Boston traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 2020, paying to sign Judge and take him away from New York would go a long way.

Judge has already set career highs in homers (57), RBI (123), stolen bases (16) and total bases (352). He's on pace to finish with career bests in batting average (.310), slugging percentage (.692) and OPS (1.105).

The New York Yankees have promoted top outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez to the Double-A Somerset Patriots, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

Dominguez had spent the 2022 campaign with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades and the Single-A Tampa Tarpons. He is the franchise's No. 2-ranked prospect, per MLB.com.

In 75 games with the Tarpons this season, Dominguez slashed .266/.374/.440 with nine home runs, 36 RBI and 19 stolen bases.

The 19-year-old was promoted to the Renegades on July 22. He slashed .306/.397/.510 with six home runs, 22 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 40 games with the club.

On Saturday night, Dominguez posted his first career multi-home run game as a member of the Renegades, hitting two home runs with three RBI on four hits in a 7-5 loss to the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

After the game, Hudson Valley's hitting coach, Rob Benjamin, lauded the switch-hitter, noting that he is wise beyond his years, via MLB.com's Rob Terranova:

"He's just such a great kid, a phenomenal athlete, really just a fantastic human being, and what he's been doing lately is impressive. He's been really open to our discussions and having quality at-bats and making quality decisions, and he's just been really receptive in pre-game meetings and just really inquisitive, which is fantastic for a kid his age and shows a really advanced mindset and approach both in meetings and at the plate."

Dominguez is ranked second among New York's top prospects behind shortstop Anthony Volpe. He is ranked 42nd among the league's top prospects, and 10th among outfield prospects behind those such as Arizona Diamondbacks' Druw Jones and Cleveland Guardians' George Valera.

The Yankees signed Dominguez to a deal that included a $5.1 million signing bonus as a 16-year-old in 2019. It was the most money the franchise ever spent on an international player.

Dominguez's estimated time of arrival to Major League Baseball is 2024, per MLB.com.

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has had an ailing lower back in recent weeks, but he reportedly took a step toward recovering Friday.

Via ESPN's Marly Rivera, Rizzo can resume baseball activities Sunday after getting a blood patch to facilitate his recovery from an epidural injection he received to treat chronic lower-back tightness. Rizzo has been on the injured list since Tuesday after he suffered migraines following the epidural.

Rizzo missed four games in early July and five more in early August because of back issues. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays that the 33-year-old has responded well to his recent treatment.

"He had a blood patch yesterday [Friday], which so far has been deemed really successful," Boone said. "Immediately, they had him moving around and walking, and I think it freed him up right away. Headaches are gone so far. And if he's still in this position tomorrow [Sunday], we'll start ramping up. But he's really excited about how good he feels."

Per Rivera, the blood patch "would have consisted of injecting Rizzo's own blood into the epidural space near his spine to help seal off any leaks after the earlier injection."

When asked about a timeline for Rizzo's return, Boone said he was hoping to have the first baseman back in about a week. The Yankees will visit the Boston Red Sox for two games and Milwaukee Brewers for three starting Tuesday.

"We'll see," Boone said. "He's been basically laying down for a while. At the back end of the trip it may be possible. But it'll kind of depend on how the ramp-up goes. Hopefully, we've gotten through what we need to, and now we can start building that process. We'll just pay attention to how he's doing and how long it takes him to get rolling."

Rizzo is second on the team with 30 home runs, 71 RBI and an .832 OPS in 117 games. New York is trying to hold on to first place in the American League East and leads the Rays by 4.5 games.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge entered Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays with 55 home runs this campaign, and he's looking to break Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 in a season by the time the year is over.

Yankees legend Derek Jeter, who returned to Yankee Stadium on Friday for a ceremony honoring his selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020, said he believes Judge can break Maris' record, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch:

"He's got 55 [home runs] -- you know, I can't relate. It's hard enough to get a hit. I'm no expert, maybe ask a home run hitter, but I would assume you can get into some issues if you're trying to hit home runs. It can backfire on you. But the thing that's impressive is that he still hits for average.

"That's something that's overlooked and undervalued in today's game. He's hitting for average, driving in runs, hitting home runs. He's doing it all. He's got [24] games left -- he's got a chance [to break Roger Maris' American League record of 61], absolutely."

Maris, a former Yankee, has held the AL record for most home runs in a season since 1961. Judge needs just six more blasts to tie that record, and after Friday's game, he has 23 more chances to accomplish the feat.

The Yankees end the regular season on the road Oct. 5 against the Texas Rangers.

The New York Yankees will be without infielder DJ LeMahieu for the immediate future.

During an appearance on the Michael Kay Show (h/t Pete Caldera of USA Today), manager Aaron Boone revealed the team placed LeMahieu on the injured list with a sprained toe. The 34-year-old last played in Sunday's victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The timing is less than ideal for New York considering Anthony Rizzo, Matt Carpenter, Andrew Benintendi and Harrison Bader are also on the injured list. LeMahieu is one of the players who can handle first base when Rizzo and Carpenter are out.

Marwin Gonzalez and Ronald Guzmán will likely be asked to handle first base while that trio is sidelined.

LeMahieu's resume includes three All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, two batting titles and two Silver Sluggers, although he has been somewhat inconsistent this season for New York. In 120 games, he is slashing .262/.358/.381 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI.

Perhaps his greatest value comes in his positional versatility, as he can play across the infield and help cover for the absences of other players.

The toe isn't a new issue for LeMahieu, as Randy Miller of NJ.com noted he missed three straight games in August because of discomfort.

He was also just 2-for-38 in his last 10 games, and the Yankees surely hope some time off will help him return to form by the playoffs.

Still, health is becoming a concern for a team that is 19-26 since the All-Star break and just five games ahead of the Rays in the American League East. Fortunately for the division leaders, they have seemingly stabilized some with four wins in a row, but the AL East crown is no longer the sure thing it appeared to be early in the season.