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New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner suffered an elbow injury in Wednesday’s win against the Baltimore Orioles and missed Thursday’s game. However, he’s ready to return to the field.

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Gardner Active vs. Red Sox

Friday, May 6

Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reported Gardner will play left field and bat second against the Boston Red Sox on Friday.

Gardner Gives Yankees Valuable Spark at Top of Lineup

Gardner was inconsistent in 2015, posting a .259/.343/.399 slash line.

He was particularly inept after the All-Star break, hitting a paltry .206/.300/.292 in 69 games, yet he still played in 151 games total and helped lead the Yankees to a wild-card berth.

There were injury concerns for Gardner in spring training. He suffered an injury to his wrist late in 2015 that lingered to the point where he was limited to hitting off a tee and at soft tosses when the Yankees opened camp in February, per the Associated Press’ Mark Didtler.

Despite those issues, Gardner was able to start the season with the Yankees. He looked more like his usual self, hitting for average, getting on base and picking spots to steal bases.

The 32-year-old is a key piece of New York’s lineup, able to set the table for the middle-of-the-order hitters with his speed and on-base ability. He’s also added some thump to his bat, hitting a combined 33 homers over the last two seasons.

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New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Tuesday he will begin working Aroldis Chapman into some save situations when the closer returns from his suspension on May 9, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. 

Girardi revealed to Hoch that “should the Yankees have a ninth-inning lead against the Royals on Monday, Chapman will get the call, sliding right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Andrew Miller into setup roles.”

“I just think it makes our bullpen longer,” Girardi said. “You use guys maybe a little bit differently, which I think helps.”

Chapman, 28, has been serving a 30-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. He was traded to the Yankees from the Cincinnati Reds in December 2015 for prospects Rookie Davis, Eric Jagielo, Tony Renda and Caleb Cotham.

He’s been working out at the team’s minor league complex in Tampa, Florida, in anticipation of his return, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has been checking in on his progress, as he told Hoch:

I’m sure he’s champing at the bit to get up here and assist, but he’s not part of the equation right now while we wait it out. It’s one of those scenarios where no news is good news. 

You see the appearances that he has and you see the notations in the game reports from the pitching coach, but it’s not like I’m on the phone every other day or even on a weekly basis, [saying,] ‘Tell me what’s going on.’ He’s just getting his work done, which is good.

Chapman has established himself as one of the finest relievers in baseball during his career, going 4-4 with a 1.63 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched and 33 saves in 36 save opportunities for the Reds in 2015.

While he’ll certainly get the chance to save some games upon his return, per Girardi, it’s unclear if he’ll be handed the role on a more permanent basis.

That leaves the roles for Miller and Betances up in the air as well. Miller has been brilliant this year and has yet to sacrifice a run while converting all five of his save opportunities. Betances has been solid if unspectacular, with a 3.09 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and five holds.

Ultimately, deciding on which player best fits in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings is a good problem for Girardi to have going forward. The manager certainly has quite a bit to figure out, however, as the Yankees have limped out to an 8-16 start this season.

But if the Yankees continue to struggle, they could become sellers and would almost certainly move one of their premier relievers for young prospects at the trade deadline. That would be one solution to the team’s excellent depth in the bullpen, though it certainly isn’t an ideal result for an organization expected to compete for titles each season.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton suffered an ankle injury in the Orioles’ 8-7 loss Saturday to the Chicago White Sox, per ESPN.com. 

Continue for updates.

Britton Nearing Return to Mound

Tuesday, May 3

Britton left after fielding a bunt by White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton:

On Sunday, he said the ankle had improved, but he remained in a walking boot, per ESPN.com:

I think I’d be surprised if I had to go on the [disabled list]… It feels pretty good compared to yesterday, how it feels this morning, but it’s still some tenderness in there and obviously I’m not walking great. I think you’ve got to walk fine before I can even start pitching again. Hopefully, it’s just a few days and I can maybe throw a bullpen or something, or at least run on it and see how it feels.

It looks as though the left-hander will get his wish after MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli reported the results of an MRI showed only inflammation in his injured ankle. Ghiroli added he’ll start playing catch Tuesday with the goal of returning within the week.

Britton had big shoes to fill when he assumed ninth-inning duties in 2014. Jim Johnson saved a combined 101 games between 2012 and 2013, leading the league in both seasons. Replicating that success would be hard enough for the most experienced reliever, let alone somebody who made two appearances out of an MLB bullpen to that point in his career.

The 28-year-old subsequently recorded 37 saves in 2014 and 36 a year ago. It might be a stretch to call Britton an elite closer, but he has brought stability and consistency to the Orioles bullpen:

Baltimore will need Britton to continue delivering in 2016 if it hopes to make the playoffs coming out of what should be an even better American League East.

Darren O’Day blew the save in Saturday’s game after replacing Britton, but he’ll likely handle any ninth-inning duties until Britton returns. O’Day has been an excellent setup man since arriving in Baltimore in 2012, and during that time, he has saved 12 games.

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First off, let’s get this out of the way: There will be no fat jokes.

Undoubtedly, Boston Red Sox fans are in a wry and bitter mood at the news that Pablo Sandoval—their $95 million man—will undergo surgery on his left shoulder and could miss the rest of the 2016 season, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Cast aside the money and dashed expectations, however, and you’re left with an undeniable truth: It’s always sad when a talented baseball player slides off the rails. 

Lest we forget, Pablo Sandoval was—and still is—a talented baseball player. Now, he’s sitting at a difficult crossroads.

We’re talking about a two-time All-Star who built a reputation and a career during seven mostly superlative seasons with the San Francisco Giants.

Yes, Sandoval’s weight was an issue then, too. But the results were generally there, particularly in the postseason. In 39 career playoff games spread over the Giants’ trio of even-year championship runs, Sandoval posted a .344/.389/.545 slash line.

In his most memorable moment, he clubbed three home runs in a single World Series game in 2012, a feat that has only been matched by three other players in baseball history: Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols.

Not so long ago, it didn’t feel ludicrous to mention Sandoval in the same breath as those MLB luminaries. Not so long ago, he was the beloved Kung Fu Panda, selling hats and smacking pitches hither and yon.

But since signing that five-year, $95 million pact with Boston prior to the 2015 season, it’s been a steady diet of disappointment.

In his first go-round in a Red Sox uniform, Sandoval hit .245 with a paltry .658 OPS as Boston limped to a second consecutive last-place finish.

Then he arrived in camp noticeably out of shape, inspiring the following too-obvious headline pun, per Abraham: 

To further twist the knife, Sandoval was outperformed in the Grapefruit League by Travis Shaw, who hit .338 to Sandoval’s .204 while playing superior defense. Shaw ultimately won the third base job, pushing Sandoval to the bench. 

“It’s the right decision to help the team win,” Sandoval said at the time, per ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber. “It’s going to be difficult, but I have to be happy.”

The bad news didn’t stop there. After taking just six regular-season at-bats—and embarrassingly busting his belt on a swing—Sandoval landed on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.

Now, we know how serious of an issue it was.

There’s a silver lining, or a potential one at least. Perhaps Sandoval’s bum shoulder is partly to blame for his recent struggles. Maybe the surgery and subsequent rehab will return him to his former glory. He’s just 29 years old after all.

On the other hand, there’s a perception—fair or not—that Sandoval doesn’t have the necessary work ethic. The Giants put him through a series of offseason conditioning exercises, dating back to 2009’s “Camp Panda,” but he always seemed to put the weight back on eventually.

Now that he’s landed a boatload of guaranteed cash from Boston, where’s his motivation to get in shape and back to peak performance?

Red Sox skipper John Farrell all but called Sandoval out this spring, via Masslive.com’s Christopher Smith:

So we generalized it with, “You need to come back in better shape,” which includes greater range, greater agility through the workout that we all witnessed this offseason, that work was being done. So to say that he has not met expectations, yeah, it’s not a flattering picture. We saw that. We’ve got to continue to work with him, get him to the point where he’s more efficient.

Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe put things more succinctly if less tactfully: “Mercy. Get a load of that gut.”

Now, Sandoval has a choice. Dig deep, rise from the ashes and augment his natural gifts with a renewed focus on fitness. Or, hammer his checks and slink off into the sunset as a well-paid, lifetime pariah in Beantown, a place that remembers its heroes and its goats in equal measure. 

Sandoval could still pull off the former. Unless the Sox are willing to eat his entire salary, it’s a safe bet he’ll remain in Boston for the foreseeable future. And a single bounce-back season followed by an October surge would soothe a lot of wounds and spike sales of panda hats.

Shaw is the man for now. But baseball, like life, frequently serves up second and third chances.

Sandoval is at a crossroads. Time and his own desire will reveal which path he takes.

All statistics current as of May 2 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Boston Red Sox announced Monday that third baseman Pablo Sandoval will have surgery on his left shoulder, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.

The team has yet to provide a timetable for Sandoval’s return. However, the Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham reported the prognosis may not be good:

The 29-year-old is in the second year of the five-year, $95 million deal he signed with the Red Sox in November 2014. He had a disappointing first season in Boston, hitting .245 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI, and his second season hasn’t been any better, with his weight becoming a talking point in spring training, per Abraham:

Travis Shaw beat out Sandoval for the starting job at third base ahead of the regular season, and as a result, Sandoval’s involvement with the Red Sox was minimal before the team placed him on the disabled list in April with a sore shoulder. Sandoval is 0-for-6 in his seven plate appearances, with his most memorable moment at the plate coming when the belt around his pants broke:

Since Shaw is hitting .322 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 25 games, Sandoval wasn’t likely to make it back into the starting lineup anytime soon even if he had been healthy.

Monday’s announcement will at least erase any doubt as to how hurt Sandoval is, and it explains in part why he had trouble earlier in the spring. Although this looks to be the end of a rough campaign, the two-time All-Star can now focus on his recovery and preparations for the 2017 season. 

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Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is dealing with a small fracture in his left foot and hit the disabled list on Tuesday. 

Continue for updates.

Latest on Hardy’s Playing Status

Tuesday, May 3

The Orioles placed Hardy on the DL and recalled Ryan Flaherty from Triple-A on Tuesday, per Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. 

On Monday, ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported Hardy is expected to be out six to eight weeks with the injury, which is lengthy and indicative of the severity considering the toughness he’s shown in the past.

Hardy No Stranger to Injuries

Hardy spent time on the DL toward the beginning of each of the prior two seasons. He admitted this past October that he played the entire 2015 campaign with a torn labrum in his left shoulder—not to mention the other ailments he dealt with such as back spasms, a right groin strain and a sore oblique.

Unfortunately, the trend of sitting early on will continue in 2016, but it’s better for Hardy and the club to get it out of the way early in the year if he must leave the lineup.

That doesn’t mean Baltimore will find it easy to win without Hardy, though. The 33-year-old veteran is a key leader in the infield as a three-time Gold Glove Award winner who made only three errors in 114 games last season at short.

While his power at the plate has declined in recent years—he hit 77 homers in his first three seasons with the Orioles but has had only 19 since—Hardy is nevertheless going to be tough to replace in all areas.

Baltimore currently ranks 29th in quality starts, leaning more on its bullpen and batting order for a 14-10 record to date. The club needs its pitching staff to step up and make the defense’s job easier while Hardy recovers.

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From the ashes of every tragedy, something good can arise.

It’s still too soon to call Pablo Sandoval‘s Boston Red Sox career a tragedy. But it’s past time to call Travis Shaw something good.

Since being thrust into the spotlight by Sandoval’s embarrassing benching and subsequent injury issues, Shaw has emerged from obscurity to become a budding star for Boston.

Shaw went 2-for-4 with a home run Sunday in the Red Sox’s 8-7 victory over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. He’s now hitting .322 on the season with a .923 OPS, three homers and 17 RBI.

It’s early, to apply the obligatory caveat, but the Sox have seemingly solved their third-base quandary.

A ninth-round pick in the 2011 draft, Shaw had a nice big league debut in 2015, hitting .270 with 13 home runs in 65 games, mostly at first base.

Still, the 26-year-old entered spring training looking like a bench player at best, with Hanley Ramirez set to make the move to first and Sandoval ensconced at third.

Those two players, after all, signed with Boston for a combined $183 million prior to the 2015 season. Surely Boston was going to give them every opportunity to play and perform.

But when Sandoval arrived in camp visibly out of shape, the grumbling began. And when Shaw outperformed him in the Grapefruit League—hitting .469 to Sandoval’s .204 and playing superior defense—the grumbling increased to a dull roar.

In the end, manager John Farrell looked at the numbers on the stat sheet, not the figures on the players’ respective contracts, and handed the gig to Shaw.

“We’re all about evaluating and what’s best for our team—not so much the better player, but what’s best for our team at the moment for us to begin the season,” Farrell said at the time, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

Translation: Don’t get too comfortable, kid. You proved it in spring, now it’s time to put up for real.

So far, so good.

Yes, it helped cement Shaw’s job security when Sandoval landed on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. But he’s played well enough to keep the job regardless and to reward his skipper’s results-based faith.

In fact, Shaw found himself penciled into each of Farrell’s first 20 lineups (and has subsequently appeared in the other five), as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe highlighted:

Shaw isn’t the only reason the Red Sox’s offense is humming. Vintage performances from Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in his swan-song season, plus the continued emergence of young stars Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts, have helped Boston pace the American League in runs scored.

Last season, however, third base was largely a black hole as Sandoval gobbled up the bulk of the starts (yeah, sorry, puns intended) and posted an anemic .245/.292/.366 slash line. That wasn’t the only reason the Red Sox limped to a second consecutive last-place finish in the AL East, but it didn’t help.

Now, they’ve got Shaw, who’s earning close to the league minimum but playing like a guy worth, well, Sandoval money.

The Red Sox need a much larger sample from Shaw before they deem him a permanent solution. Sizzling starts can quickly melt in the heat of summer.

And Sandoval is still just 29, with a proven track record as a postseason hero during his salad days with the San Francisco Giants. Boston is going to pay him through 2020 regardless, so unless he’s shipped out in a salary-eating deal, don’t be surprised if he gets another look at some point.

For now, however, the hot corner belongs to Shaw, who is putting in the necessary work, as ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber outlined:

Within the past week, Travis Shaw recognized a potentially troublesome trend. Opposing pitchers were attacking him with inside fastballs, believing he’s vulnerable to pitches in that location. And so, after he went hitless on Monday night, the young Boston Red Sox third baseman spent extra time in the batting cage on Tuesday making an adjustment to his swing.

That same day, Lauber noted, Shaw turned on an inside fastball from the Atlanta Braves‘ Matt Wisler and cranked it out for a three-run jack.

It’s one at-bat, the smallest possible sample. But it’s also an instructive anecdote. The league will adjust to even the biggest talents; the key is to adjust right back.

“He’s just a heady player,” Boston third-base coach Brian Butterfield said of Shaw, per Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. “He’s a young guy that’s a little bit ahead of the curve mentally.”

Shaw is doing what he’s supposed to do. The results are there. And the Sox are rolling, having won seven of their last eight, including a three-game sweep of the archrival Yanks.

Not so long ago, third base was a pile of ashes in Beantown. One month into the 2016 season, it’s unequivocally something good.

All statistics current as of May 1 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com.

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The New York Yankees finished an abysmal first month from the batter’s box by ranking last in the majors in runs scored during April for the first time since 1984, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info).

With just 74 runs, the so-called Bronx Bombers finished with one fewer run than a struggling Atlanta Braves team that had a 5-18 record for the month.

To put this into perspective, the Braves notched just five home runs through the month of April and still managed to outscore New York (22 home runs).

Back in 1984, the Yankees overcame a slow start to rank fourth in the American League with 758 runs. The current squad may thus have some hope, even though it enters Sunday on pace for just 545 runs, with an 8-14 record to boot. 

Second baseman Starlin Castro, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the offseason, is the only regular starter with a batting average above .300—and even he is only at .305.

The leadoff and No. 2 hitters, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, have a combined .244 batting average, though Gardner has at least drawn enough walks (11) to maintain a .369 on-base percentage.

The beauty of baseball is that there is almost always time enough to right the ship. But with their lack of depth from the rubber and struggles at the plate, the Yankees’ ship seems to be sinking at a much faster pace than others.

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David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox share a treasure trove of beautiful memories. Busting one of professional sports’ most infamous championship droughts and then winning two more titles to boot will do that for you.

Now, in Ortiz’s final season, Boston and Big Papi appear primed for one more run.

After pounding the hated rival New York Yankees 8-0 Saturday at Fenway Park, Boston sits at 14-10, a half-game out of first in the American League East.

And after going 2-for-3 in that game with a home run, Ortiz owns a .321 average and 1.071 OPS with five big flies and 19 RBI.

It didn’t have to be this way. Ortiz is 40, an age when even the most talented players often crumble.

And the Red Sox are coming off a dreadful 2015 campaign that saw them limp to a second consecutive last-place finish.

Yes, Boston and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski added big pieces this winter, including All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel and ace left-hander David Price. But the Red Sox went on a shopping spree prior to the 2015 season—handing headline-grabbing deals to Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez—and we know how that worked out.

So far, however, with their veteran designated hitter sipping from the fountain of youth that apparently bubbles somewhere in Beantown, the Sox are rolling. 

Yes—caveat alert—it’s early. Nothing is guaranteed, and the AL East is stacked top to bottom with flawed-yet-plausible contenders.

The powerful Baltimore Orioles are currently the surprise first-place squad. The Toronto Blue Jays boast ample firepower of their own. The pitching-rich Tampa Bay Rays are a small-market success story waiting to happen, and the Yankees, lousy start aside, are always dangerous.

Still, the Red Sox faithful have got to love what they’re seeing. Before we drill deeper into Ortiz’s hot start, let’s look at some other things that are going right in Boston.

Price has endured an up-and-down April, racking up 46 strikeouts in 29.2 innings but posting an unsightly 5.76 ERA through five starts.

Other starters, however, have picked up the slack. After tossing seven shutout innings Saturday, sinkerballer Rick Porcello lowered his ERA to 2.76. And right-hander Steven Wright, who slid into the rotation because of a spring knee injury to Eduardo Rodriguez, sports a 1.37 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

Speaking of unexpected contributors, Travis Shaw—who wrested the third base job from an out-of-shape Sandoval—is hitting .314. 

Add the continued emergence of shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielder Mookie Betts and a stellar start from second baseman Dustin Pedroia (.311 average and .846 OPS), and you’re looking at a lineup that paces the Junior Circuit in runs scored.

Which brings us back to Big Papi. Even at his ripe old age, with more than 9,000 big league plate appearances under his belt, Ortiz remains the backbone of the Red Sox’s offense. 

And lest you think his strong April showing is some sort of small-sample mirage, remember: Amid all of Boston’s woes, Ortiz hit 37 home runs last year, his highest total since 2006. And he’s eclipsed 30 homers and 100 RBI in each of the last three campaigns. 

Yes, he’s getting long in the tooth. But there’s no reason to assume he can’t continue to perform at a high level, as FanGraphs‘ Jeff Sullivan outlined: “Through 39, David Ortiz hasn’t changed very much. He’s protected much of his game from the usual consequences of age, and for that reason, we should expect that 40 will bring its own share of glorious moments.”

Will that include punching a postseason ticket for the first time since 2013, when Boston won the most recent of its trio of 21st century championships and Ortiz hit five jacks and drove in 13 runs in 16 games?

If the offense can keep clicking, Price finds his ace game and the rest of the rotation and revamped bullpen hold up their end of the bargain, why not?

Here’s another intriguing query: If a deep playoff push doesn’t happen—or even if it does—might Ortiz consider delaying retirement one more year?

He teased the possibility recently. “If I get bored I’ll just call up the Red Sox and tell them to activate me again,” he told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Chances are, he was kidding. Then again, who knows?

Sometimes, when you make beautiful memories, the temptation is strong to make some more.

All statistics current as of April 30 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Baltimore Orioles reportedly reached an agreement Friday with veteran starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez for a minor league deal.

Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com first reported the news. Roch Kubatko of MASN confirmed the details of the depth signing.

Rodriguez struggled across 17 appearances, including 15 starts, for the Texas Rangers last season. He posted a 4.90 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 86.1 innings before getting designated for assignment in late July. He then signed with the Kansas City Royals organization, but didn’t see any action in the majors.

The 37-year-old left-hander rejoined the Houston Astros, where he originally started his career, in January. He actually pitched quite well in six outings during spring training, going 2-0 with a 3.95 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 13.2 innings, but he didn’t make the final roster.

All told, Rodriguez has mostly been a replacement-level starter for most of his career. He’s 97-98 with a 4.10 ERA in 275 career games at the MLB level. He also had a stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates sandwiched between his time with the Astros and Rangers.

Connolly reported the Dominican Republic native is being sent to extended spring training in Sarasota, Florida. That’s a long way from the big leagues, but Rodriguez stated “all I ever want is a chance” during his time with the Astros, per Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle, and that probably still holds true.

He added: “Every time I get a chance, I will make it the best I can. Every opportunity, I try to do the best I can.”

The signing comes as Baltimore’s rotation has battled inconsistency out of the gate. The starting staff ranks 22nd in the league in ERA at 4.72 after nearly a month of action, per ESPN. So it doesn’t hurt to pick up another starter with MLB experience as insurance.

Ultimately, the Orioles will likely decide how to move forward after getting a chance to monitor his stuff during the stint in extended spring training. Rodriguez can provide a reliable veteran presence at Triple-A and serve as solid rotation or bullpen depth, at the very least.

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