NEW YORK — The Yankees are now losers of six straight games and can’t seem to catch a break, and Toronto is now three games up as they never lose. The bleeding has not stopped and this is the second six-game losing streak in the past three weeks.
Game Analysis
Carlos Rodon did not have his best stuff today, giving up seven runs, six earned, in just five innings of work. The big blow was the grand slam in the first inning. That put the Yankees in a constant chase from behind.
The Yankees defense was not clean, at all, recording more errors than they did hits with runners in scoring position, and there were other plays, not called errors that led to the Mets taking extra bases on the Yankees.
Seriously, what are we doing?
Chisholm, Wells and Volpe all hit solo home runs and Bellinger had a two-run double. That was the extent of the Yankees offense.
The Yankees bullpen is running on fumes. Scott Effross gave up two runs, after pitching a scoreless inning because he was pushed to a second inning. For some reason, every time Boone brings in a reliever for a second inning, they end up surrendering runs.
The Yankees will try to win a game on this road trip tomorrow before a monday off day. They are 0–6 on the road trip to Toronto and Queens so far.
Clarke Schmidt
Aaron Boone confirmed today that RHP Clarke Schmidt will likely need Tommy John surgery. That is a huge blow to the Yankees rotation, not just this season, but for the 2026 season as well. Luckly, the Yankees can address the need for a starter at the trade deadline in three weeks, if need be.
Cam Schlittler
The Yankees are calling up RHP Cam Schlittler from AAA Scranton to fill the rotation spot — at least for the time being — for Clarke Schmidt.
Schlittler has been outstanding this season in the minors, turning heads all over the place. His strikeouts to innings ratio is something the Yankees hope translate to the majors.
Schlittler is likely a stop gap for the Yankees until the trade deadline, but there is a lot of anticipation around his promotion to the big leagues.
Minor League Signings
Over the past few days, the SWB RailRiders have reported several signings of players that might impact the Yankees at the major league level in the commings weeks/months.
Nick Martinez
The Yankees signed veteran infielder Nicky Lopez to a minor league contract, with the expectation that he’ll report to Triple‑A Scranton/Wilkes‑Barre in the coming days.
Lopez, now 30, brings seven years of MLB experience across several teams — most notably the Royals (2019–23), Braves, White Sox, Angels, and Cubs. He carved out a role as a defense-first utilityman, accumulating over 290 starts at second base and 265 at shortstop, plus stints at third.
However, Lopez has struggled offensively this year. In 28 MLB plate appearances (with the Angels and Cubs), he’s logged just a .042/.179/.042 slash, and hit only .267 at Triple-A with Arizona (46 wRC+)
Joel Kuhnel
The Yankees announced they signed right‑hander Joel Kuhnel to a minor league contract, assigning him to the Triple‑A Scranton/Wilkes‑Barre RailRiders.
Kuhnel, 30, opted out of a minor league pact with the Philadelphia Phillies after posting solid numbers at Lehigh Valley. Over 26 innings, he recorded a 3.62 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and just 4 walks — a remarkably low 3.1% walk rate — alongside a dominant 66.3% ground‑ball rate. Released by the Phillies on July 3, he immediately drew Yankees interest and secured a new.
A veteran of four seasons (2019–23) with the Cincinnati Reds, Kuhnel appeared in 69 MLB games, posting a 4.28 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 74 innings. His career numbers include a 5.86 ERA, 76 K, and 24 BB in 93⅔ big‑league innings.
Jeimer Candelario
The Yankees have quietly added more depth to their infield, signing veteran switch-hitter Jeimer Candelario to a minor-league contract and assigning him to Triple‑A Scranton/Wilkes‑Barre. At 31, Candelario brings experience — with 880 MLB games and 110 career home runs — but has struggled in 2025, hitting just .113/.198/.213 over 22 games with Cincinnati, where he was designated for assignment and released in late June.
I actually suggested that the Yankees bring him in last week after he was DFA’d. I think Candelario has some potential after having some time in AAA to fix his swing and other hitting mechanics.
This low-risk, high-upside move follows a similar deal for Nicky López and reflects the Yankees’ search for stability at the hot corner without committing long-term or trading assets. If Candelario rediscovers the form that produced a .807 OPS in 2023, he could become a valuable in-house option to bolster the Bronx roster down the stretch.