Rays: Do they have enough pitching? This is an unexpected question for the Rays C.C. Sabathia Jersey, who rely heavily on their pitching staff. Coming into the season, the Rays felt confident about the pitching depth on the active roster and on the 60-man player pool, but even they couldn't have predicted just how much attrition has happened with the pitching staff over the first three weeks of the season. Colin Poche underwent Tommy John surgery and was lost just days before the season. Charlie Morton, Yonny Chirinos and Oliver Drake are already on the injured list, and top pitching prospect Brendan McKay was shut down for seven to 10 days on Tuesday with left shoulder inflammation. Though the Rays still feel confident about their pitching depth, Tampa Bay certainly won't be hesitant to look to add more pitching to the current group. -- Juan Toribio Red Sox: Can J.D. Martinez get hot? The slugger, adjusting to new rules when it comes to not being able to review in-game video, has gotten off to the worst start of his career from a power standpoint. There are a couple of reasons it would be really good for the Red Sox if J.D. Martinez can get on one of his patented hot streaks Derek Jeter Jersey. The first is that he could become an enticing trade chip for contenders if the Red Sox want to acquire an arm or two for the future. The second is that if Martinez does stay put, Boston's chances of getting to the postseason will increase greatly if he is mashing. A red-hot Martinez takes pressure off the rest of the lineup. Martinez smashed his first homer of the season on Monday and has been swinging the bat better of late. It would be interesting to see what kind of trade value he has given that he has opt-outs after each of the next two seasons. -- Ian Browne Yankees: Can they count on James Paxton? Starting pitching is the most likely area where the Yankees will aim to upgrade, and their urgency will be impacted by James Paxton's progress. Returning from back surgery performed in February, the left-hander's fastball velocity was about 4-5 mph lower in his first two starts of the season, but he made mechanical adjustments prior to his Aug. 8 start against the Rays. Paxton was dominant over six scoreless innings before allowing two homers in the seventh. Manager Aaron Boone called the outing “a huge stepping stone” for Paxton, who can be a free agent after the season. -- Bryan Hoch NEW YORK -- DJ LeMahieu already owns one batting title Don Mattingly Jersey. Should the Yankees infielder be clearing shelf space for a second? LeMahieu stroked four hits in five at-bats, raising his average to an American League-leading .431 as the Yankees completed a two-game Interleague sweep of the Braves with a 6-3 victory on Wednesday evening at Yankee Stadium. "I feel pretty locked in right now," LeMahieu said. "I'm just part of a really good lineup and I'm just trying to do my part to get on base. If I get on base, I feel like we're in good shape to score runs. Just trying to be tough on the pitchers." There were plenty of challenging at-bats to go around for Atlanta's hurlers. Clint Frazier homered as part of a three-hit performance in his season debut, finishing a triple shy of the cycle, and Gary Sánchez also went deep as the Bombers remained undefeated in the Bronx this season. As in so many Yankees contests over the last year-plus, LeMahieu's understated efforts powered the day. Regarded as the club's most valuable player last season, when he earned the nickname "The Machine" for his robotic consistency, LeMahieu is off to another strong start as the Yanks approach the one-third mark of their schedule. "He's a special hitter," said manager Aaron Boone. "He's a guy that uses the whole field, has pop, handles righties and lefties. He has tremendous bat-to-ball skills and does a great job of just laying the bat head in the zone for a really long time." Playing behind Masahiro Tanaka's four-inning effort, the 32-year-old LeMahieu saved a run with a sliding grab on Adam Duvall's shift-beating infield hit in the third inning, then knocked in a run with a fifth-inning single before completing his night by legging out a seventh-inning triple. Jonathan Loaisiga hurled two-plus scoreless innings to earn the victory, and Zack Britton recorded the final two outs for his seventh save in as many opportunities, sealing what was LeMahieu's second four-hit game of the season and his fifth as a Yankee Gary Sanchez Jersey. Crowned as the 2016 National League batting champ (.348) while with the Rockies, LeMahieu has 28 hits in 65 at-bats as he aims to become the first undisputed batting champion in both leagues. Major League Baseball recognizes Hall of Famer "Big Ed" Delahanty as having won the 1899 (Phillies, NL) and 1902 (Senators, AL) titles, and Delahanty's plaque at the National Baseball Hall of Fame lauds those accomplishments. Some sources retroactively credit Nap Lajoie as having edged Delahanty. "It's early in the season; there's a lot of baseball to be played," LeMahieu said, "but I definitely have the same type of confidence [as in 2016], for sure. And the results are following as well." Boone said that while some may view statistical achievements differently because they transpired in a shortened season, the unique nature of the 2020 campaign should also be considered. "If DJ LeMahieu won the batting title, would anyone question that? I wouldn't," Boone said. "If he goes out and does it, people will think of it what they want. This year presents different challenges. I think any success you achieve over a 60-game period is going to be different, but it's impressive nonetheless, especially in the environment we're existing in." Like former teammate Charlie Blackmon Gleyber Torres Jersey, who is off to a sensational start with the Rockies and paces the Majors with a .472 average, LeMahieu believes that being honored for an achievement in a shortened season should be worthy of celebration. Perhaps LeMahieu should get some room ready at home, just in case. "I think all the awards are valid," LeMahieu said. "We're all playing in the same situations. I think there will obviously be some surprises, but there are every year. I don't think it's discredited at all just because it's 60 games." NEW YORK -- Clint Frazier promised that he was ready for an opportunity to shine at the big league level. Then the Yankees outfielder proved it, homering in his first at-bat as part of a three-hit performance in a 6-3 victory over the Braves on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. Frazier belted a 410-foot homer in the second inning off Huascar Ynoa, going back-to-back with Gary Sánchez , then added a third-inning single and doubled in the fifth inning to finish a triple shy of the cycle. "It felt good to get the first at-bat out of the way and be able to breathe," Frazier said. "I'm just glad that tonight was able to start with a bang. It felt good to get instant results. It's not going to be that easy every time I step to the plate." With Giancarlo Stanton expected to be on the injured list for approximately three to four weeks due to a left hamstring strain, and Aaron Judge day to day with lower body stiffness, Yankees manager Aaron Boone envisions Frazier playing in the corner outfield spots and as a designated hitter option, especially against left-handed pitchers. "That's a pretty good return, and I'm not surprised," Boone said. "I feel like he's been in a great place now for really all of this year. I'm excited to see him come up and really have an impact." Frazier said that the setup at PNC Field, home of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, allowed him to keep his skills sharp as he waited for a chance to face big league pitching. "It feels kind of like Spring Training down there," Frazier said. "There's anywhere from five to six innings per day that you get to play against some of the pitchers down there. They're doing everything they can to make it as realistic as it can be, but it's going to be nice to play my first game." Since making his big league debut in 2017, Frazier has a .259/.312/.476 slash line with 17 homers and 57 RBIs in 124 games for the Yankees. He was among the team's better offensive performers in the first half last year, posting a .267/.317/.489 slash line with 12 homers and 38 RBIs in 69 games overall. "I've been faced with a lot of situations, whether it was warranted or unwarranted," Frazier said. "I just wanted to show up to Spring Training this year and only give people one thing to talk about, and that was my performance. There's a lot of stuff that comes with being a New York Yankee. Unfortunately, I found out the way to become a distraction in some areas. I'm just here to try to find my role." On the road again As Aroldis Chapman continues his rehab at the Yankees' alternate training site, the flame-throwing closer offered a Zoom update on his progress from the passenger seat of one of his sports cars, rolling on a highway somewhere between New York City and Pennsylvania. "I feel really good," Chapman said through an interpreter. "Understanding the time that I've had without facing hitters, playing catch and doing the regular routine, [Tuesday] for the first time actually felt better than expected, just being on the mound and pitching to live hitters and also the recovery following that."
