The Yankees’ postseason plan took a major hit on Friday, and it leaves Aaron Boone staring at a lineup with a lot of questions and very little margin for error.
Aaron Judge is headed back to the IL with a right calf strain, and the team still isn’t saying how serious it is or when he might be back. That matters because the Yankees are only one week away from the Wild Card series, and there’s a real chance their captain won’t be ready in time. Judge already missed more than three months this season because of a stress fracture in his right rib, and he has played just seven games since returning.
If he’s unavailable for October, the Yankees will have to patch together offense from a group that looks heavy on left-handed bats, a few trade-deadline additions, and a couple of rookies who suddenly matter a lot more.
Ben Rice would be the clear centerpiece. The left-handed DH has been the Yankees’ best hitter this season, and he’s getting hot again at the right moment.
In September, he has posted a .339/.459/.576 slash line. On the year, he has 39 home runs, 95 RBI and an .889 OPS.
With Judge out, Rice becomes the lineup’s most important weapon.
Cody Bellinger would slot in behind him as another key lefty. He had his own midseason slump and later landed on the IL with a hamstring strain, but September has brought a strong rebound: .333/.347/.542 with four homers and 12 RBI. If the Yankees are going to do damage without Judge, Rice and Bellinger have to be the drivers.
The right side of the order gets shakier, but Heliot Ramos gives the Yankees a needed right-handed presence in right field. Since Aug. 30, when he hit a key three-run homer against the Boston Red Sox, Ramos has gone 9-for-34 (.264) and has homered twice in his last two games. He’s one of the trade-deadline pickups the Yankees will be counting on.
Luis Garcia Jr. is the other. Since arriving from the Washington Nationals, he has hit .276/.307/.462 with a .769 OPS, seven homers and 15 RBI in 39 games as a Yankee. He fits into the same “must produce” tier as Rice and Bellinger.
At third base, Amed Rosario should get the nod over Ryan McMahon because he offers more offense. Rosario was brought in to punish lefties, but this season he has actually hit .297 against right-handers. With the Yankees scraping for runs, that kind of bat plays.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. should be back soon, too. Boone said he is expected to be activated on the Yankees’ next homestand after being sidelined since Sept. 9 with a right thumb sprain. The hope is that he can bring the kind of production he showed last season, when he went 30/30.
Rookie Spencer Jones has also earned a place in the mix, and in this version of the lineup he starts in center field. Over his last 30 games entering the weekend, he was slashing .288/.336/.481 with five homers and 20 RBI.
He also homered on Sunday after sitting out Saturday night as a precaution because of foot soreness on the turf. The Yankees will be asking a lot from him in his first playoff action.
Austin Wells rounds out the bottom of the order behind the plate. His season has been rough overall - .186 with a .613 OPS - but he has been better since the All-Star break, hitting .231/.342/.425 with seven homers and 18 RBI. If Judge isn’t there, the Yankees need more from Wells than they’ve gotten for most of the year.
At shortstop, George Lombard Jr. is the wild card. He’s been shaky defensively, so the Yankees could go with Jose Caballero instead, but Lombard’s bat just gave him a boost with two homers this weekend. He also brings speed, which at least gives the bottom of the order something extra if he gets the start in his postseason debut.
In Other News...
Yankees Camilo Doval Trade Just Took Another Ugly Turn
Camilo Dovals journey since leaving the Yankees has turned into the kind of bullpen story teams hope to avoid. New York dealt him last year in search of relief help, and the Pirates followed by taking a look of their own before quickly moving on. Dovals stint in Pittsburgh was marked by shaky command and uneven results, as he posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.737 WHIP over 19 innings.
Pittsburghs decision to cut ties came as it cleared room to activate Kirby Yates, a move that only adds to the odd look of the trade tree. The Yankees, meanwhile, were left with catching prospect Omar Alfonzo, but the latest twist gives the deal an even rougher sheen for everyone involved in it. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Judge Concern Hangs Over Crucial Yankees Doubleheader
The Yankees head into a crucial doubleheader against the Rays still trying to make up ground in the AL East, and the timing could hardly be more unforgiving. They trail Tampa Bay by six games with seven to play, which leaves little margin for anything less than a strong day, and the focus remains squarely on whether Aaron Judge can return from the injured list after a right calf strain.
Judges absence has become the looming subplot around a series that already carries obvious postseason weight, especially with the playoff picture tightening by the hour. The day also comes with the usual added details that matter this late in September, including game times, pitching matchups, broadcast plans and betting lines for both ends of the doubleheader, but the bigger question for the Yankees is whether their captain can get back in time to help at all. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Ruined A Rays Moment Fans Would Have Hated
Cody Bellingers two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the Yankees needed in the opener of a day-night doubleheader, and Carlos Rodn made sure the lead never felt in danger. The left-hander worked eight scoreless innings, limiting Tampa Bay to three singles while picking up his 100th career win and becoming the latest Yankee to join the 1,500-strikeout club.
Nick Martinez gave the Rays a chance by going six innings and allowing just two runs on five hits, but New York still controlled the tone of the afternoon. For a Tampa Bay club that was looking to build any kind of momentum in a short set, the Yankees turned the first game into a clean, compact statement and left the day-night split with plenty still hanging on the second half. [Read more 🡒]