Double-Blown Sunday Highlight’s New York Yankees Troubles

Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees would rather forget this past weekend. Yes, losing two of three to a team that you handled at their place last weekend stinks. But, that certainly wasn't the worst of it for the Yankees manager. When your weekend is filled with questions about your team involving Tommy John surgery, struggling closer, blown saves and a racial comment, it's easy to forget that you have a 5 game lead in the American League East.

Boone began handling the weekend's issues on Sunday afternoon by talking to reporters about Yankees 3rd baseman, Josh Donaldson and his altercation with Chicago White Sox All Star shortstop Tim Anderson on Saturday. Anderson said that he took offense to a comment made to him by Donaldson. Apparently, during the game the Yankees third baseman called Anderson, who is Black, as “Jackie,” as in Hall of Fame legend Jackie Robinson, who according to Donaldson, the White Sox shortstop has referred himself to in the past. It seems that many dispute Donaldson's account, possibly his own teammates.

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According to ESPN.com, Anderson said “He just made a disrespectful comment...Basically he was trying to call me Jackie Robinson. ‘What’s up, Jackie?’ I don’t play like that. I don’t really play at all. I wasn’t really going to bother nobody today, but he made the comment and you know it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for. It was unnecessary.” Boone did his best to address the issue.

According to Dan Martin of nypost.com, Boone told the media prior to Game 1 on Sunday, “I understand that Josh has been very forthcoming with the history of it, the context of it. I don’t believe there was any malicious intent with that regard. This is just somewhere in my opinion he should not be going.” This is an issue that could smolder in the Pinstripes' clubhouse for a while. Aaron Judge nor Giocarlo Stanton looked happy with their teammate during the bench clearing dust-up.

Back to baseball, Next, according MLB.com, the optimistic Yankees manager had to address his prized reliever, Chad Green, who was placed on the injured list Saturday because of his injured right elbow. Green decided Saturday evening to go forward with Tommy John surgery. "It's tough news, but with this surgery, it's usually something that pitchers are able to return from. I know he will. He's an outstanding athlete that takes great care of himself and has a really good work ethic." Thankfully, Aaron Boone didn't have to deliver that news AFTER his bullpen blew a pair of games.

That brings us to the shaky back-end of what has been a stellar bullpen for the Yankees. Closer Aroldis Chapman, who has been ineffective of late to say the least, blew a 1-1 tie in Game 1 of the double-header after Jameson Taillon threw 7 terrific innings of 1 run ball, followed by Jonathan Loáisiga doing the same thing, in a 0-0 game, to Luis Severino, after he threw 7 shutout innings in Game 2. Loáisiga has also been struggling, having given up almost as many runs as he did all of last year (17 runs in 2021 and 13 in 2022, so far).

The Yankees own a 5 game lead going into Memorial Day. With Green out for the season, with Chapman and Loáisiga both struggling terribly, general manager Brian Cashman has to be trying to make a move. Until he does, Aaron Boone is will continue to juggle a key factor of the Bronx Bombers success this season.