DUNEDIN, Fla. – Nearly two years removed from his second Tommy John surgery, Jameson Taillon finds some meaning in small victories.
Being able to pitch regularly in the Yankees’ rotation is one.
“It’s a free feeling,’’ Taillon said recently of not worrying about hiding an injury “when the pitching coach walks behind you.’’
But soon, the hurdles will get a little steeper.
"If I'm out there and I'm healthy, I think I can be really good,'' Taillon said a day before Tuesday night's second start of the year for the right-hander c a rocky 3 2/3-inning performance.
Getting a second chance at the Yankees within two weeks, lefty Hyun Jin Ryu pitched masterfully in a 7-3 Toronto Blue Jays’ win at tiny TD Ballpark.
Over 6 2/3 innings, Ryu (1-1) limited the Yankees to one unearned run on four hits, with seven strikeouts.
Through the first five innings, Ryu pitched to the minimum 15 batters as Yankees singles were erased on two more double play grounders — by Giancarlo Stanton and Rougned Odor.
But the Yankees chipped back against Toronto’s bullpen and brought Aaron Hicks to the plate, representing the tying run in the eighth.
That’s when Gary Sanchez got himself caught in a rundown between first and second on Julian Merryweather’s wild pitch, ending the inning.
Taillon used 84 pitches and yielded five runs on eight hits. He walked one batter, hit one batter, uncorked a wild pitch and gave a solo homer to Marcus Semien.
Things turned in the second inning for Taillon. One strike away from completing another scoreless frame, No. 9 hitter Josh Palacios delivered a two-run single for a 2-0 lead.
Hicks back in lineup
Hicks returned to the Yankees’ lineup Tuesday night, in center field, with manager Aaron Boone convinced he was "ready to go out and contribute.’’
Sunday’s fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop outside Minneapolis had deeply impacted Hicks, who came up with the Minnesota Twins.
“He was down (Monday), just struggling,’’ Boone said of Hicks, who removed himself from Monday’s lineup with the backing of Boone and the organization.
On the bench during Monday’s 3-1 Yankees win, Hicks was engaged with his teammates and into the game according to Boone.
“I liked what I saw, and I was certainly paying attention to that,’’ Boone said.
Entering the game in a 3-for-24 slide, Hicks went 3 for 4 with a double.
Stanton's two-run single in the eighth snapped an 0-for-16 skid.
Gleyber sidelined, Gio at short
After starting the Yankees’ first 10 games of the season at shortstop, Gleyber Torres was sidelined with a jammed right ring finger Tuesday night.
Boone was hopeful that Torres might return to the lineup for Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Blue Jays after X-rays and a CT scan came back negative.
“He was pretty sore (Monday) night,’’ Boone said of Torres, who went hitless in three at-bats after diving back into first base in Monday’s second inning, jamming his finger.
In Torres’ absence, Gio Urshela made his first start at shortstop since 2018, when he played eight games at the position for the Blue Jays.
Between 2015 and 2017, Urshela made 112 starts at short for the Cleveland Indians.
“I have a lot of confidence whenever Gio has a glove on his hand and he’s standing on the infield,’’ Boone said of his Gold Glove-caliber regular third baseman, now doubling as the backup shortstop; Tyler Wade was optioned Saturday.
Urshela committed an error in the third inning, making a desperate throw to first base after corralling a Bo Bichette grounder that deflected off Odor's glove.
Luke Voit's progress
At New York, first baseman Luke Voit (small tear, left meniscus) resumed light fielding drills Tuesday, with the expectation that he’ll begin hitting off a tee beginning next week.
Voit had surgery two weeks ago and “he’s progressed really well to this point,’’ Boone said. Voit is expected to return to the Yankees’ lineup at some point in May.
