The New York Yankees had a roster built to win big; they spent a huge amount of money on it, too. But it appears that they lack a manager who can guide them through the challenging situation they are in now. Aaron Boone, for all his press conference bravado, seems mostly to fans a motivational speaker rather than a problem solver, and hence, the patience is running dry.

And if you want to know how bad things are, Sunday’s 7-1 loss to the Astros is proof of it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the skipper was ejected in the third inning for arguing a strike. The team looked lifeless, and the fans in Yankee Stadium booed, letting them know it.

New York has now dropped seven of their last nine games and sits at 62-56, 6.5 games back in the AL East. They are clinging to that third Wild Card spot by just a half game over the Guardians. It’s hard to remember that this is the same team that was at the World Series last season, right? Or the fact that things looked so different at the start of the season.

So, the Yankees’ playoff odds were 97.2% in May. However, that has dropped to 80.7% now, according to the NY Times. Now, on paper, their .483 remaining strength of schedule is the easiest among the contenders. But the real kicker is what’s coming next, and it’s none other than their nemesis—the Red Sox. This time, things are different in Boston; they have been putting down a great show and moved past the Yankees, too, in the standings. So, how the Yankees fare against Boston will define their future ahead.

Undoubtedly, a huge part of the problem is that Aaron Judge is his Yankee captain form.  Since his return from the injured list, Judge has gone just 3-for-15. For now, all fans can wonder is whether, due to the pressure from the fans, Judge was brought out of the IL sooner rather than later. Because honestly, without its bat, the Yankees can’t seem to stay afloat. It was the story before, and it is the story now, but this time the results are not there. Boone, however, is optimistic that things will get better. For him, the players are “feeling it” during the rough stretch.

But for the first time, maybe the captain didn’t agree with the Yankee skipper. But Judge didn’t back him up. Instead, he said, “We’re just not playing good baseball. I wouldn’t say guys are ‘feeling it’ … We have a tough group in here. It does not feel good losing. We’re not doing our job; we’re not doing the little things that put ourselves in position to win.” His words are like a wake-up call for the Bronx, and they need to act fast if they want to make it to October. But they simply can’t catch a break.

Yankees can’t catch a break with bad news!

It just feels like every day brings a fresh batch of new bad news for the New York Yankees. In a season where they have gone from being contenders to now, in puddles, the bad news is still keeping on piling up. Since the trade deadline, the Yankees have not been losing games; they have lost players, too. This time, one of their newest additions is headed right to the injured list.

Utility man Amed Rosario, whom the Yankees got right before the deadline, is the third mid-season player the team picked to land on the wretched injured list. His injury happened in the 10th inning against the Astros when he crashed into the right field wall, filling in for Judge. After several minutes talking with the trainers, Rosario left the game, and then came the diagnosis, which is a joint sprain. He is now out at least for 10 days!

This is a huge bummer because this is right after Austin Slater. The newcomer was ruled out for four to six weeks with a hamstring injury. And Jake Bird got a demotion! The Yankees are now trailing behind the Blue Jays and Red Sox, and it’s not the math that the Bronx fans signed up for this season. But it’s not just injuries; it’s also the fact that an ace like Max Fried is not performing at par. Since July, he has posted a 6.00 ERA over seven starts, and the ace himself knows it. After the latest loss, he owned up to it, saying, “I just have to be better at locating and getting ground balls, and I haven’t been able to do that. I need to see what adjustments I can make.”

Well, for now, the front office and players seem to be on different tangents. The first thing for sure is that the Yankees can make it to the playoffs this time. As for the players, they know they are not doing enough for it. What do you think?