Boone weighs in on club with Deadline near

NEW YORK -- At least once a day, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman checks in with manager Aaron Boone, and their recent conversations have included morsels of information about available players. Pitching is the stated priority, and it should not be a surprise if the Yankees strike in advance of Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.

"Whatever happens over the next 24 hours will be," Boone said prior to the Yankees' 4-2 loss to the D-backs on Tuesday. "I know in our room, we know what we're capable of. We know what the expectation is. Whether or not something happens doesn't change that. We know we're capable of something really special with all the guys we have in that room right now."

The Yankees are believed to have active interest in D-backs left-hander Robbie Ray, who coincidentally is dressing in Yankee Stadium's visitors clubhouse during this two-game Interleague series. Multiple reports have suggested that outfielder Clint Frazier is being dangled as a potential chip for 27-year-old Ray, who is 9-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 23 starts.

"I feel like my wife keeps me updated on [rumors] like that," Ray said. "I've been saying, I go about my business every five days and whatever happens will happen. I haven't looked too much into it. Obviously I know it's out there, but I'm not just scouring the Web looking at stuff."

With Marcus Stroman traded to the Mets and Trevor Bauer on his way to the Reds, two appealing names are off the board. The Yankees were unwilling to meet asking prices that are believed to have included right-hander Deivi Garcia, rated as the organization's No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Tigers' Matthew Boyd is another starter who has generated interest.

"You can't help but think about it," Aaron Judge said. "I know guys are probably watching and wondering what's going to happen just based on the position we're in, being contenders and being first in our division. Guys still know there's a job we've got to do. We've got to focus on winning ballgames.

"If it's with this crew or if we add people, nobody knows, but I think we're all going to be happy once this Trade Deadline has passed and we can continue to keep playing baseball."

Though Cashman has said he would have no trouble dealing with the Mets, pointing out that he has finalized trades with several of their recent general managers, a trade for Noah Syndergaard still appears to be a long shot. The Yankees have also scouted Zack Wheeler in advance of the Deadline.

Boone said he would be confident heading into the postseason even if the Yankees do not add an impact starter.

"I would say there are a lot of ways to skin a cat," Boone said. "We have a lot of really good players, and we have what we think is a very capable staff. We may be creative, and maybe not in a traditional way. ... The bottom line is we feel at that point, we'll hopefully have a team full of guys capable of getting 27 outs every day. That's the key, and we have the people capable of doing that and pitching very well."

Cashman has also said that if he is unable to land a starter, bolstering the bullpen provides another avenue to improve the pitching. To that end, the Yankees have been in contact with the Tigers about Shane Greene, who was traded by New York in the December 2014 three-way deal that installed Didi Gregorius as the Yanks' shortstop.

"I would say this time of the year, with 24 hours to go, anything is always possible," Boone said. "I don't want to rule anything out, and it's not me up there having these conversations right now. But I don't think you can ever rule anything out."

Press play, Mr. DJ
DJ LeMahieu was out of the Yankees' lineup for a third consecutive game on Tuesday due to a minor groin strain, though LeMahieu told Boone that he felt ready to play after going through on-field batting practice and running.

"They know where I stand," said LeMahieu, who hopes to play on Wednesday afternoon.

Boone indicated that the Yankees might give LeMahieu another day with the club having an off-day on Thursday.

"We're just trying to be smart with it as best we can," Boone said. "Especially with an off-day here, an off-day coming up Thursday, we'll continue to evaluate it. We're excited about where he's at and the fact that he's been able to avoid the IL because of how he's responded."

Comeback trail
• Brett Gardner (left knee inflammation) performed arc runs and on-field hitting prior to Tuesday's game, and the outfielder believes that he can be activated as soon as Friday, the first day he is eligible from the injured list.

• Gary Sanchez (left groin strain) ran indoors and hit in the indoors batting cage, which Boone said represents encouraging progress. Sanchez is unlikely to be activated on Saturday when eligible, but Boone indicated it could be soon after that.

• Giancarlo Stanton (right knee sprain) is "still moving slow," according to Boone, who said that the slugger is focusing on building quadriceps strength. Stanton has not resumed baseball activities.

• Jonathan Loaisiga (right shoulder strain) began a Minor League rehab assignment with Double-A Trenton on Tuesday. The Yankees believe that Loaisiga can return as a reliever this season.

This date in Yankees history
July 30, 2011: The Yankees scored a franchise record 12 first-inning runs in a 17-3 win vs. Baltimore, sending 16 men to the plate. Future Yankee Zack Britton started and recorded only one out, charged with nine runs (six earned).