Spencer Jones

Jones was held out of action on Saturday due to minor left foot soreness, but he’s right back in there as expected on Sunday afternoon in Arizona. He’ll start in center field and bat sixth against Diamondbacks’ right-hander Corbin Burnes.

Jones expects to be back on Sunday. José Caballero is starting in center field tonight against the D-backs,

Jones’ home run was his 10th of the season. He hit a three-run shot off Twins reliever Taylor Rogers in the sixth inning. It was Jones’ first home run since September 1, a span of 11 games where he hit .333 with three double and six RBI despite not leaving the yard. He’s hitting .259 with a .783 OPS and 37 RBI in 78 games this year.

Jones did his damage during a six-run uprising in the seventh inning, with his two-run single extending the Yankees’ lead to 6-2. He then rode home on Anthony Volpe’s grand slam. With his three-hit evening, the 25-year-old slugger is now hitting .255/.333/.452 with nine homers, 33 RBI and nine stolen bases in his first 235 plate appearances with the Bombers.

After homering Monday and Tuesday, Jones got the nod over Trent Grisham against lefty Reid Detmers tonight, but he ended up with his first golden sombrero as a major leaguer. He’s up to 76 strikeouts in 210 plate appearances as a major leaguer, but if anything, that 36 percent rate is probably a little better than expected; he finished at 37 percent in Double-A in 2024 and 35 percent between Double- and Triple-A last year. And he’s hitting a respectable .239/.314/.441 anyway.

Jones put the Yankees on the board early, taking Grayson Rodriguez deep for a two-run blast in the first inning. He later drew a walk and stole second in the sixth before walking again and scoring a run in the eighth. The 25-year-old slugger has homered in back-to-back games and is up to nine with nine steals while hitting .245/.320/.451 across 206 plate appearances.

Heliot Ramos, meanwhile, is making his first start in six days against Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval. With Cody Bellinger back, it looks like Jones and Ramos could be in a straight platoon for now, though Jones could maybe start over Trent Grisham against some lefties. Jones actually has a 1.079 OPS in 34 plate appearances in lefty-lefty matchups. He has a .648 OPS in 155 plate appearances against righties.

Jones delivered an RBI double in the second and was also caught stealing for the first time as a big-leaguer. He has seven homers and eight steals in his first 57 games with the Yankees. Of course, it has come with a 36 K%. Heliot Ramos was the odd man out with Cody Bellinger back in the lineup, but playing time will be something to watch as New York gets healthier down the stretch.

Jones led off the third inning with a single and scored as Jose Caballero bounced into a fielder’s choice. He then crushed a 398-foot (108.0-mph EV) solo shot off of Kyle Bradish in the sixth inning that extended the Bombers’ advantage to 5-1. He also singled in the eighth inning and swiped second base but was ultimately left stranded there. For the season, the dynamic 25-year-old is now hitting .227/.305/.407 with six homers, 19 RBI and seven stolen bases on the season.

Jones has plenty of power, so hitting him in the middle of the lineup makes sense. However, in 17 games since the All-Star break, he’s also hitting .196 with a 25.4 percent strikeout rate, 17.2 percent swinging strike rate, and 68 percent contact rate. The power and solid walk rate have given him a usable .756 OPS, but he remains a risky bet given his contact profile.

Jones put the Yankees on the board with a base hit in the second inning to drive in a run, then stole second for his fourth steal of the season. He then plated his second RBI on a triple in the fifth before scoring on a balk. Jones would draw a walk in the eighth, reaching for a third time. It was an excellent day at the plate for the 25-year-old outfielder after going hitless in his last five games.

The wind was blowing in at Wrigley tonight, but Jones hit a 106-mph liner low enough get it out to left center. It was his third homer in four games, and he’s now at a solid .247/.333/.452 as a major leaguer, even with his 40 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances. The Yankees aren’t going to have to choose between Jones and Jasson Domínguez for a starting spot for at least a few weeks yet, but if they had to pick today, it’d seem to make sense to stick with Jones.

Jones, starting against LHP Shota Imanaga, blasted a 418-foot dinger in the fifth inning to provide the final scoreline. Jones has enough power (four homers) and speed (three stolen bases) to be a fantasy factor if he keeps getting consistent playing time, so proving he can handle left-handed pitching is crucial for him. Jones is hitting .265/.324/.500 in his last 15 games and .236/.327/.416 in 89 at bats on the season.

Spencer Jones truthers stand up! Well, not really. He socked a three-run homer in the first inning and then a 111 mph single in the sixth. After that single, he stole second base too. That’s three home runs and two stolen bases through 95 plate appearances this season, which is enough to make him intriguing in deeper leagues. Especially with Cody Bellinger out until September and Jones’ opportunity to grab regular playing time depending on whether or not the Yankees acquire an outfielder ahead of the trade deadline. Just be advised that he still has a 40% strikeout rate and that’s unlikely to improve much given his track record in the upper minors.

With Cody Bellinger (hamstring) landing on the injured list on Sunday, Jones will get another opportunity to show the Yankees what he can do at the big league level. The 25-year-old has slashed .224/.314/.355 with two homers, seven RBI, one stolen base and a 35/10 K/BB ratio over 86 plate appearances with the Bombers this season.

Most teams usually recall an extra pitcher for a doubleheader, but the Yankees will go with a bat instead. Jones has hit .233/.317/.370 with two homers, seven RBI, one stolen base, and a 34/9 K/BB ratio over 82 plate appearances with the Yankees this season. Perhaps the team is hoping he gets into a big home run today in the hopes of boosting his trade value at the deadline.

The Yankees needed to clear a spot on their roster for Brendan Beck to start on Saturday, and with Trent Grisham back from the injured list Jones became expendable. The dynamic 25-year-old hit .233/.317/.370 with two homers, seven RBI, one stolen base and a 34/9 K/BB ratio over 82 plate appearances during his time with the Bombers.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that a few members of the team are dealing with food poisoning, so perhaps Jones is one of them. The 25-year-old is hitting .225/.313/.366 in his 80 MLB plate appearances this season with a 42.5 percent strikeout rate and a 20.5 percent swinging strike rate. With Trent Grisham (hamstring) set to return this weekend, Jones may be headed back to Triple-A. Jose Caballero will start in center field on Wednesday with Oswald Cabrera at third base and Amed Rosario at designated hitter.

There were only two hits from the Yankees tonight by the time he was pulled, so Jones’s bad game won’t be held overly much against him. However, he is just 2-for-16 with two walks and nine strikeouts over the last 10 days. The odds are increasing that he’ll be sent down when Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon return this week.

Jones has seen his playing time slashed since Jasson Domínguez returned to New York’s outfield mix last week, starting just five times in eight games during that span. The 25-year-old’s all-or-nothing approach has yielded a pair of spectacular moonshots and a sky-high 40.6 percent strikeout rate across 64 plate appearances at the highest level this season.