Here are three things to watch for this week as the Yankees head to Texas to take on the Rangers and host the White Sox over the weekend.
A Fourth Consecutive Winning Week
After going 4-2 last week, the Yankees have now had a winning record three weeks in a row. This has certainly helped New York recuperate after a rough start to the season.
Four American League East teams are within two games of the each other, and that includes New York. That means a fourth consecutive winning week could have the Yankees at least very close to leading the division when this week ends.
The Injury List
The Yankees have caught the injury bug a lot in recent years, and 2021 is showing signs of the same. Different types of injuries and sicknesses currently have guys like Gleyber Torres, Aaron Hicks and Zack Britton on the bench.
Multiple players being injured can affect a team in multiple ways. Whether it’s simply not having some of the best players on the field or making numerous roster changes and calling up minor leaguers, it can change the game plan for a team and put even more stressors on the 162 game grind that is the MLB regular season.
A Test for the Pitching Staff
The Yankees will play four games in Texas and three at home verses the White Sox this week. Both series will take place in hitters’ parks, and the Rangers and White Sox both rank well in hitting statistics. New York has had some of the best numbers on the mound this season, but they’ll be tested against two solid lineups this week. Gerrit Cole is set to take the mound Monday night, so he should be able to get two starts this week. The 30-year-old is pitching phenomenally through his first eight starts this year. He has a 1.37 ERA with 78 strikeouts and a 0.684 WHIP through 52 2/3 innings pitched.
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