The Yankees learned what they pretty much already knew: Ryan McMahon caught Jose Altuve’s line drive in the sixth inning of their win in Houston on Thursday.
Aaron Boone said Friday he heard from MLB that the play should have been ruled an out when third base umpire Brian Walsh — who had a mistake-filled series in Houston — ruled that McMahon didn’t hang on to the ball despite it clearly coming out on the transfer out of the glove.
Boone said it “should have been ruled a catch” by the league.
McMahon, who was back at third base for the series-opening loss to the Blue Jays on Friday in The Bronx, said he was only concerned about the result of the game and the victory made it easier to put the play behind him. He also added that he didn’t blame Walsh — who was also brutal behind the plate in the Yankees’ loss to the Astros on Wednesday — for the missed call at third.
“I saw the replay, and in real time, from his angle, I understand how he didn’t see it,” McMahon said.
That wasn’t the only controversy MLB weighed in on Friday regarding Thursday’s game.
It turns out the Yankees were right that the bat Taylor Trammell used during the game did not meet MLB regulations.
But unlike other controversies involving the Astros, there will be no repercussions following the bat’s removal from the game, according to a source, since it was ruled Trammell did not gain an advantage from the bat.
According to MLB guidelines, any two-color bat must be divided into two sections, one of each color. And that transition must occur at the 18-inch mark from the knob.
During Trammell’s at-bat in the bottom of the ninth against David Bednar, the Yankees noted there was “discoloration on the label” of Trammell’s bat.
After a lengthy delay, in which crew chief Adrian Johnson spoke to the replay center in New York, the umpire handed the bat to an official authenticator and the game resumed with no other consequences.
The bat, according to a source, was “correctly treated” in the same way an impermissible glove color or design would be and notified the player he was no longer permitted to use the bat.
The crew chose to keep the bat and have it shipped to MLB headquarters.
Boone was almost apologetic about questioning Trammell’s bat.
“That was something hard for me to do because I don’t think Taylor was up to anything,’’ Boone said of Trammell, who played five games with the Yankees last season and spent much of the season with the organization at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“But it was brought to my attention,’’ Boone said. “Something looked not right and not within the rules. I was satisfied with the ruling and explanation. It was my duty to the team to at least check.”
Anthony Volpe was back on the bench to start the series against the Blue Jays on Friday, with José Caballero at shortstop.
Volpe had started nine straight games since sitting for a pair of games during his ugly stretch at the plate last month. He entered Friday 1-for-12 with a walk and five strikeouts.
Boone has said he wants to get Caballero — who was 0-for-3 on Friday — more time at short.
“Since we got him, he’s been a good player,’’ Boone said. “He’s earned opportunities there.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was back in the lineup at second base after leaving Thursday’s win with contusions to both knees.
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