MLB News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Image credit: ClutchPoints

Yankees hit low point they last reached in 1984 after shutout loss to Orioles

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Peter Sampson | Last updated 4/29/24

A great night for the Baltimore Orioles equals a tough outing for the New York Yankees.

Gunnar Henderson made history as the youngest player in MLB history to hit 10 home runs before May 1 of a season and scored both of the Orioles’ runs, while right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw nearly six scoreless innings in Baltimore’s 2-0 win over the New York Yankees.

The loss was the fifth time that the Yankees have been shutout this month, which was the first time that the Bronx Bombers have been held scoreless five times in April since Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield were playing for Yogi Berra in 1984, per Talkin’ Yankees.

Despite that unfortunate mark, the Yankees are tied with the Orioles for first place in the American League East.

In all reality, this Yankees team has what it takes to make a playoff run. However, continuing to lead one of the best divisions in sports is going to be challenging, especially with the offensive inconsistency that they have displayed so far.

Yankees have offensive questions, but pitching could be on the way

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

There is no question that Juan Soto has made a crucial impact thus far since being acquired by the Yankees during the offseason. Aaron Judge has struggled in 2024 but we know he is going to get back on track.

But the Yankees have clear offensive question marks. Beyond Judge and Soto, however, there are not many reliable offensive presences.

Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo are showing that they’re just not the same players they once were. Alex Verdugo may hit for a decent average, but he does not provide a game-changing bat for a lineup. Gleyber Torres has been an inconsistent bat over the years, and he has struggled mightily to begin the new campaign. DJ LeMahieu has not even played in a game yet this season while he deals with an injury.

But while the offense works itself out, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is working on his return.

Just last week, the Yankees have received a big update on Cole’s injury, with the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner making progress, per MLB.com.

“Cole increased his throwing to 75 feet on April 16 in New York. He was scheduled to toss again on April 17, which will mark his first time throwing on back-to-back days since his injury. It has been a slow but steady progression for Cole, who said he felt “great” after making 25 throws at 60 feet on April 8, then had another tossing session go well on April 11.

Cole underwent an MRI on March 11 after relaying difficulty bouncing back between his spring outings, likening his level of fatigue to what he usually would feel after throwing 100 pitches during the regular season. Cole had more testing performed on March 12, then visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on March 14. ElAttrache confirmed that there was no damage to Cole’s ulnar collateral ligament.

During that visit, Cole was told that he could treat his ailing right elbow conservatively through rest and rehab, with the hope of returning to the rotation in 10-12 weeks.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: