March 31: Acquired RHP Jake Cousins from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations
Cousins, 29, made nine relief appearances for the Brewers in 2023, permitting five runs on 10 hits and 10 walks in 9 1/3 innings (4.82 ERA). He spent most of the season in the Minors, combining to post a 6.35 ERA across 29 relief appearances with Triple-A Nashville, the ACL Brewers and Triple-A Sugar Land. Cousins posted a 1.29 ERA in seven spring appearances with the White Sox, allowing four runs (one earned) over seven innings.
March 31: SS Anthony Volpe scratched with upset stomach
Volpe was in the Yanks’ original lineup against the Astros at shortstop, but he was scratched about 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Oswaldo Cabrera moved from third base to shortstop, with Jon Berti entering the lineup at third to make his Yankees debut.
“He’s pretty ill,” manager Aaron Boone said of Volpe after the Yankees’ 4-3 victory over the Astros. “He was in the handshake line with a smile on, but it’s been a rough day.”
Members of the traveling party have been experiencing stomach ailments since the club’s trip to Mexico City on March 24-25, including Boone, who said that it “hasn’t been the greatest five days, but shaking hands at the end of the day sure helps.”
March 30: RHP Clayton Beeter optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; the contract of RHP Tanner Tully purchased from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; designated LHP Nick Ramirez for assignment
Beeter, the Yankees’ No. 14 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, made his Major League debut in Friday’s 7-1 win over the Astros, throwing just three pitches in a scoreless ninth inning.
“Him being a starting pitcher with some of his [injury] history, it’s just not wanting to put him in a bad situation if something happened where we had to do something early and we’re really thin [in the bullpen],” manager Aaron Boone said. “The reality is, he felt good [Saturday]. We could probably throw him out there, but when you’re not built for that, it concerns me.”
Boone said he believes Beeter “is going to help us a lot this year.”
The 29-year-old Tully posted a 1.50 ERA across six Grapefruit League innings. He last pitched in the Majors in 2022. Ramirez, 34, posted a 2.66 ERA over 32 appearances last season with New York, finishing 12 games.
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10-day/15-day IL
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot)
Expected return: Possibly late April
LeMahieu was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot following another MRI on March 29. An MRI taken after he fouled a ball off his foot on March 16 had been inconclusive.
Manager Aaron Boone said that LeMahieu will be reimaged on or around April 12. While an April return is possible, LeMahieu’s progress will be determined by his pain tolerance. LeMahieu was able to hit in the batting cages on March 29.
“We’re not pushing it,” Boone said. “It’s not something that he’s going to play through. He’s going to be 100 percent [when he returns].”
The Yankees placed LeMahieu on the injured list on Opening Day on March 28, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: March 30)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly April 12
Kahnle will be eligible to come off the 15-day injured list on April 9, but manager Aaron Boone said on March 29 that he does not expect to see Kahnle activated during the Yankees’ first homestand, which runs through April 10. Kahnle’s buildup moved a bit more slowly than expected this spring due to the right shoulder inflammation that ended his 2023 season, as it delayed his winter throwing program. Kahnle said that he pushed his work back from Thanksgiving to Dec. 12 due to lingering discomfort. (Last updated: March 29)
INF Oswald Peraza (right sub-scapular strain)
Expected return: April/May
The Yankees placed Peraza on the injured list on Opening Day, retroactive to March 25. Peraza has been feeling “really good” and is expected to resume hitting in the coming days, manager Aaron Boone said on March 20. Boone added that a more complete test will come when Peraza resumes throwing. He’d initially been advised to take three to four weeks off without tossing.
Peraza underwent an MRI on March 7 and a dye-contrast arthrogram on March 8, which showed a strain in the 23-year-old’s shoulder. His shoulder issues began on Feb. 25, though he returned to the lineup on March 5, playing two games before being shut down again. (Last updated: March 28)
RHP McKinley Moore (right knee discomfort)
Expected return: Possibly April
Claimed from the Phillies in February, Moore has yet to see game action due to a pre-existing knee injury. Moore said on March 20 that he is pain-free in his bullpens and is looking forward to facing hitters. The Yankees placed Moore on the injured list on Opening Day, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: March 28)
60-day IL
RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow discomfort)
Expected return: Possibly June 1
The Yankees placed Cole on the 60-day injured list on Opening Day, retroactive to March 25, so the earliest possible date he could be activated would be May 24. Cole said on March 28 that he is feeling good in his exercise/rehab program and was about a week away from resuming throwing, outlining a loose goal of a June 1 return to the big league rotation.
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