NEW YORK – They’ll file this under “good problems to have,’’ when some Yankees vets become active players again. Carlos Rodon (elbow) might be making his last rehab start Thursday, and Will Warren’s rotation spot is looking vulnerable after yielding three homers in four innings Wednesday. Cody Bellinger (hamstring) ran the bases well Wednesday afternoon, putting him in play for a rehab assignment by next week, and a return to the Yanks’ outfield on a sooner-than-later scale. Spencer Jones has experienced the Scranton shuttle this year, but he is steadily making a case that optioning him again should not be an option. Even on a Wednesday night when Trent Grisham homered twice and delivered the go-ahead RBI double in a three-run seventh, it was Jones’ impressive at-bats that keyed a 10-5 comeback win against the disappointing Seattle Mariners. “Super comfortable’’ is how the 6-foot-7, Southern California rookie slugger described how he’s feeling lately in the Bronx. “A chill bird, kind of getting into that mentality.’’ Spencer Jones' key at-bat
You’d have to be secure in your surroundings to put together Jones’ game-altering at-bat in the third inning, against righty starter Bryce Miller. It went on for eight pitches, and Jones had already learned something from his first inning strikeout. As Jones laid off some tough splitters and began timing Miller’s fastball, “you sensed as the at-bat went on, (Jones) was getting a bead on him,’’ said manager Aaron Boone. After lashing a pulled foul ball, Jones drove a two-run double to deep left, getting the Yanks within a run, 4-3. “That kind of got us back in the game, and the guys took it from there,’’ said Boone, who got big-time relief help from Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick. Bailed out by Hill, Fernando Cruz was brief and largely ineffective (hit, walk, facing just three batters), and has yielded nine hits, nine walks and six earned runs in his last 11 outings (9.1 IP). Since arriving via trade from San Francisco, righty-hitting outfielder Heliot Ramos is 2-for-24, and was somehow intentionally walked by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, setting up Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s bases loaded walk to cap a three-run seventh. And yet, there were “more encouraging signs’’ to the Yanks’ lineup, following Tuesday’s four-run seventh in a 4-1 series-opening win. Ben Rice was in an 8-for-68 (.118) desert until he doubled and drove a seventh-inning RBI single off lefty reliever Gabe Speier. Austin Wells (1-for-2, double) is suddenly batting .360 (9-for-25) over his last 11 games, after a brutal first four months at the plate. Jones delivered a game-tying double in the fifth off Miller, giving him 10 RBI over his last 13 games, and the quality of his at-bats is shining through. “He touches it on the barrel, it’s getting hit hard,’’ said Boone. “He’s done a good job of having professional at-bats every day…he’s shown some adaptability at this level.’’ Spencer Jones: "Chill Bird''
Jones has tinkered with his swing and stance over the years, and even lately has been “kind of working through some stuff’’ to get back to basics. But he’s already done the big makeover, eliminating the leg kick and incorporating the Shohei Ohtani-like swing finish. As for his success with runners in scoring position, that means “pressure on the pitcher. That’s the way I’ve always framed it,’’ said Spencer. Chill bird. “He’s always super composed,’’ said Rice. Meanwhile, Grisham (aka ‘The Big Sleep’) had a rough start Wednesday, admittedly making a bad read on a second inning shallow fly that he failed to charge, which dropped for a cheap double. By night’s end, Grisham was in a 7-for-11 streak with three homers, three doubles and seven RBI over his last three games. Yeah, he “feels good’’ at the plate, said Grisham, who was a bit more effusive about Jones. “Really impressive. Fun to watch. Wants to learn.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Spencer Jones' staying power on display as Yankees' lineup comes to life