So, we start with the good news: the return of Gerrit Cole on Wednesday to start against Baltimore. Ok, that is it.
Now, today’s injury report: reliever Ian Hamilton goes on the IL with a lat strain – out 3 – 4 weeks. Cody Poteet who has been the 5th starter has a right tricep strain and will not throw for 1 – 2 weeks. Jasson Dominguez who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery is awaiting results from his MRI.
SU says that the bullpen is the team’s greatest weakness and they were already not that reliable. Yes, they have the best record in the AL and all that but the Yankees are below .500 vs. the AL East. They have feasted on the bad teams in MLB this year and there are many that fall into that category. Judge and Soto have carried them with assists from Volpe and Verdugo. The rest of the lineup – not so much. Starting pitching has been lights out and you know that will not continue all year. For SU, the goal has to be the World Series this season and I believe the bullpen is going to hold them back in the end.
Something to watch for.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Gloom and doom. Best record in the American League and white flags being raised all over SU Nation. Why can’t the starting pitching keep it up? They have one of the best pitchers in baseball returning, who’s to say it can’t improve? Rory McIlroy has reason to be concerned, not Yankee fans.
Yes, SU expected the blowback on these comments. My feeling is that there will be regression to the mean with the starters. Gil is coming off an injury and they have to be monitoring his innings. Cole is not a lock to stay healthy but hoping for the best of course. This series against Baltimore will be telling. But I understand the perspective.
The Yankees have had the 11th most difficult schedule so far this year: https://powerrankingsguru.com/mlb/strength-of-schedule.php (the Mets have the 7th most difficult). For the remainder of the season, the Yankees have the 19th easiest schedule (i.e., 18 of the 30 MLB teams have harder schedules) and the Mets have the 22nd easiest.
The Mets are coming on now. If they have an easy schedule, that should help them get in the running for a wild card although I could easily see Steve Cohen being a seller at the trade deadline. The next few weeks will be telling for the Mets.