Aaron Boone on Jorbit Vivas' baserunning error: It's a conversation, not a benching
Yankees third baseman Jorbit Vivas, left, talks with third base coach Luis Rojas after getting tagged out by Atlanta in an inning-ending double play during the third inning on Friday at Truist Park. Credit: ERIK S LESSER/EPA/Shutterstock/ERIK S LESSER/EPA/Shutterstock
ATLANTA — Third baseman Jorbit Vivas committed one of the Yankees’ biggest baserunning blunders of the season Friday night — a high bar, considering how poorly in general the club runs the bases — when he tagged up on Cody Bellinger's long flyout to right and was thrown out at third on a cannon shot by Ronald Acuna Jr. As impressive as Acuna’s throw was, it would not have become the viral play it did if Vivas had run hard the entire 90 feet and/or slid into the bag, as third base coach Luis Rojas was signaling for him to do.
Instead of the Yankees having runners on first and third with two outs and Aaron Judge at the plate in a game in which Atlanta led 3-0, the inning was over.
“It’s not a case of somebody dogging it down the line, it’s a case of him pulling up, incorrectly, a mistake that obviously can’t happen,” manager Aaron Boone said Saturday. “To me, in that moment, for a kid who plays his butt off all the time, that’s not a situation [requiring benching]. That’s a conversation. And that’s a little bit of an embarrassing moment you hope you learn from and grow from, but you’d be pulling guys a lot of times for different things. And that one, to me, doesn’t rise to it when it happens once.”
Unsaid, of course, is the fact that the Yankees, with some rare exceptions, have been a bad baserunning team for years. Additionally, making an example of the 24-year-old Vivas, who isn’t likely to be on the roster past the July 31 trade deadline, would have about zero impact in the clubhouse when it comes to fixing what is a top-to-bottom organizational issue.
Schlittler seems to be lined up for Tuesday
Cam Schlittler appears as if he’s about ready to go.
The rookie righthander, who picked up a victory in his big-league debut against the Mariners on July 9 but was bumped from starting Friday night’s game here after experiencing what Boone characterized as “upper arm soreness” earlier in the week, said on Saturday he believes he’ll be able to start this coming week in Toronto.
“Very insignificant,” said Schlittler, who said the soreness occurred in his biceps area.
With Carlos Rodon already slated to start Monday night and Max Fried dealing with a blister issue but penciled in to start on Wednesday, that leaves Tuesday for Schlittler.
Schlittler, who allowed three runs, three hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings in which he struck out seven in the 9-6 victory over Seattle, said he alerted the Yankees to the soreness on Tuesday. He underwent an MRI that came back clean.
“Everything was clean, just a little bit of inflammation,” said Schlittler, speaking about an hour before he was scheduled to throw a bullpen session at Truist Park. “They’re just trying to get me a few extra days [rest].”
Schlittler, a seventh-round pick of the Yankees in 2022, said he told the club about it because the discomfort he felt was “just a little bit more than usual” when it comes to what any pitcher feels nearly four months into a given season.
“Just wanted to bring it to their attention and, obviously, they want to be cautious about it,” Schlittler said. “Again, got testing done, everything’s clean and I think they’re helping me out by giving me a couple days to kind of reset and be ready for Toronto.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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