ATLANTA — After the Yankees limped the All-Star break riding a month-long slump that has them in second place, manager Aaron Boone’s first comments before the first game of the second half were filled with the usual optimism. There was talk about the Yankees having an “opportunity to do something special” and being “in a position to make that run.”

Keith Meister has been outspoken about pitching injuries in baseball and what needs to change. He points to how the Tampa Bay Rays are using their pitchers as a possible path forward.

The Yankees' sketchy pitching plan backfired Friday night, and now they need to scramble again to cover themselves. According to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the team is designating reliever RIco Garcia for assignment after Thursday night’s bullpen scramble in Atlanta.

It’s nearly decision time. The July 31 Trade Deadline is less than two weeks away, and while some teams are still figuring out where they stand, we have a good idea of how most clubs plan to play it.

The New York Yankees are back in action Friday night, staring down the second half of the season with urgency […]

Scrambling for pitching to cover themselves this weekend, the Yankees made two roster moves before Saturday’s game in Atlanta. They recalled right-hander Allan Winans from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated Rico Garcia for assignment, as expected. It’s a clear response to Friday night’s bullpen game that backfired hard.

The Yankees open the second half against the Braves and have a unique starting rotation for the series that includes Ian Hamilton

Whether the Yankees would be willing to include a prospect like Schlittler or Jones in a trade for a rental — or any deal for that matter — remains to be seen. General manager Brian Cashman was asked on Wednesday if any prospects in the Yankees’ farm system are untouchable ahead of the deadline.

Next season, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is hoping to roll out the automated ball-strike challenge system league-wide — a rule change that, on paper, aims to create a more accurate strike zone and gives teams a chance to correct egregiously bad calls.