Yankees News: Aaron Judge update, Mitch Garver clause, Red Sox broadcaster apology

It's been a busy past few days for the New York Yankees, who embarrassed their hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox, with a 16-1 shellacking to cap off a series in which the Bombers took three out of four. While the Red Sox are off licking their wounds, the Yankees are heading west to begin their road trip against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

With that, there's a lot ot look forward to as we have some key updates that will impact the team in the near future, as well as a controversial loose end from the weekend's festivities being tied up.

Aaron Judge is heading West with Yankees, foreshadowing major step towards return

We've been hearing rumblings that Aaron Judge is getting closer to a return, but we haven't seen much in the way of concrete steps to make that a reality. Well, that is, until now. Judge is heading out to Anaheim with the club, and it could be the start of him truly ramping up.

“I’m sure it will be ramped up and a lot more involved,” Aaron Boone said before Sunday's finale against the Boston Red Sox. “Hopefully out there, [he will] start to get on velocity and things like that. He’ll be part of the pregame stuff and just get more entrenched into getting ready to come back.”

Per Boone's comments, it sounds like Judge will be working out on the field and taking live batting practice. He's starting to knock the rust off in earnest, and that's a really great sign. It's also been noted he will return straight to the Yankees and forgo a rehab assignment.

Mitch Garver's Yankees future is about to be decided

Mitch Garver was never going to save New York's catching situation, but he has certain skills that could certainly help. The question is whether or not he'll actually get the opportunity.

Garver hasn't lit the world on fire at Scranton, posting a .179/.324/.214 line, but the eight-game sample he has down there is nowhere near significant enough to draw any conclusions from. If he were to get a shot in pinstripes, Austin Wells' recent hot streak means all he'd really need to do is mash the occasional lefty.

Part of Garver's minor league deal with the Yankees gave him an assignment clause he's able to trigger. That would allow him to seek major league opportunities elsewhere, while remaining in the Yankees system if nothing materialized. Garver decided to invoke that clause, and the deadline was 3 pm E.T. Monday, August 31, with no apparent claims put in.

In this case, Garver likely gets called up when rosters expand in September so that the club can roster both him and Ali Sanchez, who has no options and would otherwise need to be DFA'd.

Red Sox radio announcer Will Flemming issues an apology after Yankees comments

Red Sox radio announcer Will Flemming found himself in a firestorm following his comments advocating for Boston players to fight Jazz Chisholm Jr. for the sin of stealing a base with a six-run lead when the Red Sox weren't even pretending to hold him on.

Flemming's bloodlust continued with him fantasizing about Boston lefty Jovani Moran drilling Austin Wells in retaliation. It was all way outside the lines, and has no place coming from a play-by-play man whose job it is to illustrate what's happening on the field while representing the best the game has to offer.

Flemming has since issued an apology and admitted that his passion as a fan got him carried away. He seemed sincere, and we understand the passion, but it's probably not something a media professional should be saying with thousands of listeners.

Red Sox fans probably think Yankees fans demanded this happen, but the reality is that Flemmings comments reached the national media and created a much larger controversy.

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