BALTIMORE -- As the non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches, the rumors around the league are beginning to heat up, with one of the latest reports by MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal -- writing for The Athletic -- saying that the Yankees may have some interest in Orioles infielder Manny Machado.
The Yankees do not appear to be a front-runner in the hunt for Machado, but if the team did end up landing the two-time Gold Glove Award winner, manager Aaron Boone and his coaching staff would have to consider shaking up their loaded left side of the infield to accommodate the 26-year-old.
Although rookie third baseman Miguel Andujar has read some of the rumors on social media, he said on Tuesday that he is not concerned what a trade for Machado could mean for his future with the club.
"It doesn't worry me," Andujar said. "Ever since I've been playing professional baseball in the Minor Leagues, there has always been someone ahead of me. So it doesn't worry me. Like I keep saying, it's about giving the best I have and trying to help the team as best as I can."
Entering Tuesday, Andujar was slashing .279/.309/.500 this season with 12 home runs and a team-leading 26 doubles. Andujar said that he continues to work every day to improve for his team, and Boone said that he saw no reason to address the Machado rumors with Andujar.
"I have not spoken to [Andujar] about that," Boone said of the trade rumors. "Look, I talk to all my players quite a bit. I talk to Miggy quite a bit. I think he knows how we feel about him. I think he understands how important he's been to our club and how well he's played and how much he's impacted things.
"A conversation doesn't have to happen every time, especially at this time of year, the rumor mill starts up and we're attached to getting a certain player. I mean, that's going to happen just about every day."
Machado has put together a strong season thus far in 2018, slashing .309/.379/.555 with 21 home runs entering Tuesday's contest against the Yankees. With Baltimore in last place in the American League East and Machado set to become a free agent at the end of the season, it is expected that he will be wearing a different uniform by the end of the non-waiver Trade Deadline at the end of the month.
If that uniform so happened to be pinstripes, Andujar said that he'd be willing to do anything to help his team and accommodate the All-Star, even if that meant moving across the diamond to starting or splitting time at first base.
"I'm here to help the team at the end of the day," Andujar said. "Whatever they ask me to do, I'm more than happy to do so. To have an opportunity to play and help, I'm going to be happy doing that."
Gray ready to right the ship
After having consecutive starts that both lasted fewer than three innings, Sonny Gray said he's ready to take the mound in Baltimore on Wednesday. The right-hander said he has not done anything differently in preparation for this outing and doesn't necessarily view it as a big start for him.
"I think it's another start that I'm going to go out there and try to win," Gray said. "Anything else I think is pretty irrelevant for me to think of."
Gray has gone 5-7 with a 5.85 ERA with just six quality starts in his 17 appearances this year. Although he has struggled to find his rhythm since being traded to the Yankees last July, the starter has not lost his confidence.
"Listen, I had two bad starts, two in a row, it's no secret," Gray said. "But at the end of the day, I get a chance to go out and compete tomorrow. I get a chance to go out there and try to win a baseball game, and that's what I'm going to try to do. I think everybody in the clubhouse understands what I'm going through on the field. ... Tomorrow's my day to go out there, and I look forward to it every time I get the opportunity."
Injury report
• Gary Sanchez has started to do some light running and took batting practice with the team on the field prior to Tuesday's game in Baltimore. Boone said that the catcher is "very much getting close" to being ready to start a rehab assignment.
The Yankees have not decided if Sanchez will need more than one rehab game before rejoining the team, but their hope is to have him back to open up the second half of the season.
• Second baseman Gleyber Torres is on a similar schedule to Sanchez, as Boone also hopes that the rookie will be able to return to the lineup to start the second half. Torres hit off a tee on Tuesday and started to do some work in the weight room. According to Boone, the pain is nonexistent in the infielder's hip when he does basic exercises, so the team hopes to ramp up his baseball activities this week.
This date in Yankees history
July 10, 2001: Derek Jeter hit his lone career All-Star home run, connecting off Jon Lieber in the American League's 4-1 win at Safeco Field.