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Emerson Hancock SP | SEA
Mariners' Emerson Hancock: Tagged for seven runs
Hancock (1-2) allowed seven runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings to take the loss Monday versus the Yankees.
Hancock's run of three straight quality starts came to an end as the Yankees got to him. Trent Grisham had a pair of solo shots, and Austin Wells capped a six-run fifth inning with a three-run blast. The three homers allowed matched the total Hancock had given up over his first five starts of the year combined. He's now at a 6.91 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 22:11 K:BB across 28.2 innings over six starts. Hancock will likely get one more turn in the rotation -- a road start at San Diego this weekend -- before ceding his spot to George Kirby (shoulder), though Hancock could stick around as a starter if Logan Gilbert's (elbow) recovery timeline trends toward the end of May or early June.
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Gets aboard four times in win
Volpe went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two walks in Monday's 11-5 win over the Mariners.
Volpe ended a 12-game homer drought with his ninth-inning long ball to pad the Yankees' lead. The shortstop was steady during that stretch, batting .277 (13-for-47) with four doubles and three stolen bases. He's up to a .245/.335/.442 slash line with six homers, 24 RBI, 22 runs scored, six steals and 11 doubles over 40 contests. Volpe has hit safely in five of his last six games, logging three multi-hit efforts in that span.
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Austin Wells C | NYY
Yankees' Austin Wells: Drives in four Monday
Wells went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in Monday's 11-5 win over the Mariners.
Wells finished off a six-run fifth inning for the Yankees with his homer. He added a sacrifice fly to pad the lead in the seventh. The catcher has just one multi-hit effort over nine games in May, going 6-for-27 (.222) with three homers and 11 RBI this month. Overall, he's batting .215 with a .760 OPS, eight homers, 28 RBI, 15 runs scored and a stolen base across 139 plate appearances. He's not always consistent at the plate, but he has been impactful with his hitting lately.
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Trent Grisham CF | NYY
Yankees' Trent Grisham: Two homers in three-hit game
Grisham went 3-for-6 with two solo home runs in Monday's 11-5 win over the Mariners.
Grisham has gone 9-for-32 (.281) with four homers and seven RBI across nine games in May. The outfielder's hot hitting keeps him in the mix for the Yankees, though he's not an everyday player as the team also needs to find space for Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez and Ben Rice on a regular basis. Grisham is up to a .288/.373/.663 slash line with 12 homers, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored and no stolen bases over 34 contests. As long as he avoids a prolonged slump, he should get a decent share of playing time.
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Clarke Schmidt RP | NYY
Yankees' Clarke Schmidt: Works around two homers in win
Schmidt (1-1) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over six-plus innings to earn the win Monday over the Mariners.
Schmidt has turned in consecutive quality starts, and this was one was enough to get him his first win of the season. He allowed solo home runs to Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Polanco, but a big fifth inning by the Yankees gave Schmidt plenty of support. Over five starts this season, the 29-year-old has a 4.73 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 25:12 K:BB across 26.2 innings. His next start is expected to be at home over the weekend versus the Mets.
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Goes yard Monday
Neto went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Monday's 9-5 win over the Padres.
Neto opened the scoring with a third-inning blast, but the Angels' lead was short-lived. This was a positive performance in the series opener for the shortstop, who went just 1-for-12 with a walk and three strikeouts over the three-game series versus the Orioles this past weekend. For the season, Neto is batting .279 with an .845 OPS, five homers, 10 RBI, 16 runs scored, seven stolen bases and five doubles over 22 contests.
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Taylor Ward RF | SEA
Angels' Taylor Ward: Plays hero Monday
Ward went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in Monday's 9-5 win over the Padres.
Ward capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning, taking Alek Jacob deep after Robert Suarez struggled in a save opportunity for the Padres. This was Ward's third homer in his last seven games, and he's driven in at least one run in six of those contests, following a stretch in which he went 1-for-27 with a 2:13 BB:K and no RBI. That slump has left a mark on Ward's overall numbers, as evidenced in his .190/.232/.405 slash line over 164 plate appearances. He's added nine homers, 21 RBI, 18 runs scored, six doubles and no stolen bases through 39 games. While Ward isn't hitting all that well, he continues to see steady playing time between left field and designated hitter, as none of the Angels' other outfielders are doing much better than he is.
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Yusei Kikuchi SP | LAA
Angels' Yusei Kikuchi: Decent in no-decision
Kikuchi allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings in a no-decision versus the Padres on Monday.
It was Kikuchi's own throwing error that led to two runs scoring to give the Padres the lead in the third inning. He left the game with the Angels trailing 4-3, but they rallied in the ninth to get him off the hook, instead leaving him with a third straight no-decision. This was his fifth quality start in nine outings, but he has yet to get in the win column. Kikuchi has posted a 3.72 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 43:22 K:BB over 48.1 innings, though he's walked just four batters over his last three starts, spanning 17 innings. The left-hander's next start is projected to be a tough road matchup versus the Dodgers this weekend.
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Steven Okert RP | HOU
Astros' Steven Okert: Excellent start to season continues
Okert allowed one hit with no walks and no strikeouts across two scoreless innings Monday against the Royals.
Monday's outing was Okert's 17th of the season and his 15th scoreless appearance. He's backed that up with an excellent 24:3 K:BB across 22 innings. Despite his success, Okert hasn't typically been used in high-leverage spots and has only two holds on the campaign.
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Oswaldo Cabrera SS | CIN
Yankees' Oswaldo Cabrera: Goes down with leg injury
Cabrera left Monday's game against the Mariners due to a left leg injury, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.
Cabrera was injured on a play at the plate in the top of the ninth inning as he attempted an awkward slide. He was eventually taken off the field in an ambulance after being attended to by the team's training staff. The Yankees later reported that Cabrera was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation, per Kuty.