With the Yankees and Red Sox set for their Wild Card Series, the picture around both clubs is still shifting. Four days out, there are lineup questions everywhere, and the matchup that only became fully locked in after Friday’s Game 1 against the Cubs now comes with a fresh layer of uncertainty.
Boston’s biggest concern is Willson Contreras. His status for the series is very much up in the air after he was hit on the hand by a fastball on September 17.
He has tried to push through the injury, but the recovery may simply not be moving fast enough. X-rays showed no fracture, which at least spared the Red Sox that outcome, but he is still dealing with major inflammation and a deep bone bruise.
By Thursday, Contreras still could not swing without pain. There were even reports of him choking up at his locker as he came to terms with the possibility that he might not be available for the ALWC. That leaves Boston facing the real possibility of entering the series without its most dangerous right-handed bat.
That uncertainty is what has opened the door for a Yankees twist in Game 1. If Contreras is sidelined, New York could get even more comfortable using a left-handed starter right away, and the latest chatter says Max Fried is the name to watch. The rumor is that the Yankees are weighing Fried for the opener against a Boston lineup that may be missing Contreras.
Jimmy "Jomboy" O'Brien went a step further, describing the Fried-Game 1 idea as "seemingly locked into place", and said Cam Schlittler would be lined up for Game 2. He also said he had heard Giancarlo Stanton would be on the playoff roster, which naturally makes the whole rumor stream feel a little less certain. Still, the Fried piece fits.
We heard rumors around Yankee Stadium that Max Fried is pitching Game 1 against Boston, Giancarlo Stanton will be on the Wild Card roster, and Carlos Lagrange will be called up today pic.twitter.com/dUubkQVqQZ
- Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 25, 2026
The case for Fried is hard to ignore. Since joining the Yankees, he has been brutal on the Red Sox, posting a 1.10 ERA in five starts against them. That kind of track record matters, especially if Boston is forced to lean on shaky platoon depth without Contreras in the middle of the lineup.
Schlittler may be New York’s clear ace right now and the projected AL Cy Young, but the Yankees could still choose to play the matchup game and start Fried in Game 1 instead. If they do, Boston would be staring at a left-hander who has already had its number, and that could be exactly the kind of move New York wants to make to open the series.
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Yankees Fans Got A Powerful Reminder Of What CC Sabathia Meant
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Sabathia looked back on that journey with the kind of perspective that only comes after years of winning over a tough baseball town, and Aaron Boone was among those who underscored how much his presence meant beyond the numbers. Boone praised Sabathias leadership and the influence he had in the clubhouse, a fitting tribute for a pitcher whose legacy in pinstripes was never only about innings or strikeouts. [Read more 🡒]