Yankees News: New York adds prospect to 40-man roster, hitting coach, David Ross

Yankees News: James Rowson emerges as hitting coach option

Don't let the Yankees' new bench coach vacancy distract you from their hitting coach vacancy!

The role vacated by new Mets manager Carlos Mendoza seems likely to be filled by Luis Rojas, who's served as the team's third base coach the past two years after being dismissed as Mets manager. That would mean a new third base coach and hitting coach, with the second hire likely coming from outside the organization.

Per Brendan Kuty, former Mariners hitting coach (2019-21) and current Dodgers minor-league hitting coordinator Tim Laker's name "came up early" in the search. Does that mean it came up and was quickly dismissed? That would seem like a mistake. But who's to say?

The leader in the clubhouse might just be James Rowson, who Joel Sherman reports the Yankees are "strongly considering." That sounds different than a "name coming up." Rowson is the Tigers' assistant hitting coach, but was the (that's more like it) Yankees' minor-league hitting coordinator for six years first.

Welcome back. Probably.

According to Sherman, there may or may not be an offer out to Rowson; the Yankees are currently refusing comment. If you're looking for someone who may be able to communicate Dillon Lawson's minor-league message effectively, this could be your guy, even though the two didn't overlap (Rowson served from 2014-16, 2008-11).