Yankees vs. Angels Tuesday MLB odds, props: Anthony Rizzo in career-worst home run slump, sliding Bombers now last in AL East

Aaron Judge apparently isn't walking through that door anytime soon for the New York Yankees, and GM Brian Cashman might have a major decision to make with the trade deadline upcoming on whether to actually become a seller instead of a buyer. The offense has struggled mightily without Judge, led by Anthony Rizzo, who is in a career-worst power slump entering Tuesday's game at the Angels. He is +500 to go yard at DraftKings.

The Yankees slipped into the AL East cellar Monday with their tough loss in Anaheim and Boston's blowout win in Oakland. It's the first time the Bombers have been in sole possession of last place this late in a season since Oct. 3, 1990, when they finished in last. New York is nine games out of the AL East lead, so that's a pipe dream, but only 2.5 games out of the final wild card spot. Thus Cashman surely will not be selling – although it might limit his buying, given that the team doesn't have an automatic pass to the ALDS.

Monday's defeat was New York's 20th in 35 games since Judge was lost to injury. On the updated odds to make the playoffs at DK, Yes is +125 and No -150. To win the East, the Yanks are +2000 longshots after opening as +100 favorites at BetMGM.  

If the Yankees miss the postseason, it would be stunning if manager Aaron Boone is back in 2024 even though it's not his fault Judge got hurt. His managerial decision-making, however, can be suspect at times. Look no further than the choice to pitch to Shohei Ohtani with a man on first in the seventh inning of a two-run game on Monday. Ohtani promptly launched a booming home run to tie the game. Boone nearly was fired after last season and the Bombers won the division.  

The bullpen has become an issue of late. On Sunday in Denver, the Yankees had leads of 3-1 in the eighth and 7-5 in the 11th but lost 8-7. On Monday in Anaheim, Ohtani tied it in the seventh, and the Angels walked it off in the bottom of the 10th, 4-3. It's the first time since 1992 that New York lost back-to-back games in which it led by multiple runs in the seventh inning or later in both.

Rizzo, the team's cleanup hitter most nights, has decent overall numbers at .250 with 11 homers and 39 RBI, but is in a horrendous slump as he hit that 11th homer way back on May 20. He has gone 42 games and career-worst 174 plate appearances without leaving the yard. Rizzo had a stretch of 46 games without a home run from 2011 (his rookie season with the Padres) to 2012 (with the Cubs), but that only spanned 153 plate appearances.

Since his last homer, Rizzo is hitting under .170 overall with six extra-base hits and 11 RBI. Rizzo says he's healthy. He does have very good career numbers at Angel Stadium despite going 0-for-5 with two Ks on Monday. Rizzo has two singles in two at-bats career against tonight's Halos starter, lefty Patrick Sandoval (4-7, 4.41), and has just one homer off a southpaw all year despite hitting .364 against them.

It's Domingo German (5-5, 4.32 ERA) for the Yankees. The last time he pitched in California was when he threw his perfect game on June 28 in Oakland. German is on extra rest as he last took the mound on July 9 right before the break against the Cubs. He allowed one earned over six innings in a no-decision. He's 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 14 career innings vs. the Angels. Ohtani is 0-1 off German. 

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