The New York Yankees are already moving to shake up their starting lineup after a historic loss that exposed a sudden offensive collapse. The team announced three major changes to the lineup on Friday afternoon.
The Yankees suffered one of the worst losses in their storied history on Thursday, and that means more changes to the lineup when the Bronx Bombers invade Tropicana Field to face the Tampa Bay Rays Friday.
And with the lineup announced just hours before first pitch, more changes were made clear. The Yankees fell 1-0 to the Athletics on Thursday. The defeat, coming in the Yankeesâ 12th game of the 2026 season, was the first 1-0 loss for the Yankees since July 28, 2023, the Yankees’ 103rd game of that season. That means the Yankees had played 394 regular-season games between 1-0 losses. But that’s not even why Thursdayâs defeat to the Athletics was historic.
The defeat carried a stat line that no Yankees fan wanted to see attached to the 2026 club. According to research cited by Statheadâs Katie Sharp, it was the first time since 1958 that the Yankees lost a 1-0 game while recording one hit or fewer, reported Sara Molnick of Pinstripes Nation. More specifically, the Athleticsâ 1-0 win at Yankee Stadium was their first such result at the venue since July 14, 1972. It was also their first 1-0 win over the Yankees anywhere since 1979. The Athletics had not won a series at Yankee Stadium in 10 years before this week.
The 1-0 loss came after a 3-2 defeat to the same team on Wednesday. The Yankees, heading into the Rays game Friday night, have not scored a run in their last 17 innings.
The Yankees at 8-4 still hold the best record in the American League and are second only to the 9-3 Los Angeles Dodgers in MLB. But after averaging almost seven runs per game over their previous five games, the Yankees offense suddenly started trending in the wrong direction over the last two. And that means changes are on the way.
Goldschmidt Returns to Starting Lineup
With the game scheduled to get underway at 7:10 p.m. Eastern Time, the Yankees posted their starting lineup shortly after 4 p.m.
| Player | Pos | Bats | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B | R | 1 | 3 | 0 | .222 | .967 |
| Aaron Judge | RF | R | 3 | 7 | 1 | .222 | .758 |
| Cody Bellinger | CF | L | 1 | 4 | 2 | .238 | .746 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | DH | R | 1 | 7 | 1 | .326 | .812 |
| Amed Rosario | 3B | R | 2 | 5 | 0 | .250 | .941 |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 2B | L | 0 | 3 | 5 | .186 | .511 |
| Randal Grichuk | LF | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 |
| José Caballero | SS | R | 0 | 1 | 5 | .135 | .362 |
| Austin Wells | C | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 | .486 |
Manager Aaron Boone had already made a few of his planned changes public.
According to a report by New York Daily News Yankees beat writer Gary Phillips, left-handed first baseman Ben Rice, off to a scorching start with three home runs and a 1.155 OPS, moves off first base where he has been stationed for the last six games in a row.
In his place, Boone announced that veteran Paul Goldschmidt, a right-handed batter, gets the start against the Rays left-handed starter Steven Matz. The Yankees lineup posted Friday confirms Boone’s earlier announcement and reveals that Goldschmidt despite an on-base percentage of just .300, will bat leadoff.
After signing a two-year, $15 million contract with Tampa Bay, Matz has put in two solid though far from spectacular starts for his new team, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 11 innings over two starts. But Matz was credited with the win both times out, giving him a perfect 2-0 mark on the young season.
McMahon Play Rides the Bench Again
One mystery was be solved when the Yankees announced their starting lineup â where struggling third baseman Ryan McMahon would play, or if he would play at all. After sitting McMahon in the series opener against the Athletics, Boone moved McMahon to shortstop for Wednesday’s game in order to get Amed Rosario in the lineup at third base. But McMahon, who has managed only two hits in his first 29 at-bats of the season, was back at third on Thursday.
On Friday, McMahon sits again. Rosario gets another start at third, batting fifth, while José Caballero, with a paltry .362 OPS and .135 batting average, will start at shortstop.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. also rode the bench in the Yankees’ 1-0 loss, but the second baseman is return to action on Friday in St. Petersburg, Florida. Chisholm plays his usual second base and bats sixth.
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