Kyle Higashioka to start, Sanchez unlikely to DH for Yankees on Tuesday
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone pauses before answering a question during a news conference at the American League Wild Card Workout Day at Fenway Park, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, before Tuesday's American League Wild Card game against the Boston Red Sox in Boston. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) Credit: AP/Mary Schwalm
BOSTON — Kyle Higashioka, to the surprise of no one, will start behind the plate for the Yankees on Tuesday night in the AL wild-card game.
Higashioka has more or less been Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher dating to last season, and Cole will start against Boston’s Nathan Eovaldi.
But Aaron Boone indicated Monday that the player Higashioka is starting in place of — Gary Sanchez — isn’t likely to be in Tuesday’s lineup at designated hitter, either. In all probability, that slot will be occupied by Giancarlo Stanton.
"Probably a bat off of the bench," Boone said of Sanchez.
If Sanchez had been more consistent offensively this season, he might have had a chance to be in the lineup. But with Boone likely to go with an outfield of Joey Gallo, Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge, and given Stanton’s performance the last two months, that leaves Sanchez as the odd man out.
Sanchez hit .204 with 23 homers and a .730 OPS in 117 games. Stanton hit .273 with 35 homers, 97 RBIs and an .870 OPS.
Higashioka caught five of the Yankees’ seven postseason games last year. It is unclear how the catching duties will be parceled out if the Yankees advance to the best-of-five Division Series against the top-seeded Rays beginning Thursday night in St. Petersburg, Florida
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Gio is good to go
Boone said he expects infielder Gio Urshela, who took an ugly spill into the Rays’ dugout Sunday after running at full speed to catch Austin Meadows’ foul pop, to be in the lineup Tuesday night.
"I think he’s going to be good," Boone said. "He [was] actually getting some treatment about an hour and a half ago back at the hotel and I saw him at brunch this morning. He was a little stiff but actually felt pretty good. I think if there was a game today, he’d be playing. Again, I think we got incredibly fortunate in that situation."
No decision on J.D.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said a decision won’t be made regarding the availability of J.D. Martinez until Tuesday morning. Martinez suffered a fluke left ankle injury Sunday when he tripped over second base.
"Let’s see how he reacts to treatment and everything that they are doing to him in there," Cora said. "We don’t know yet."
Martinez had 28 homers, a league-leading 42 doubles, 99 RBIs and a .286/.349/.518 slash line. His absence from the Red Sox lineup could benefit the Yankees, though Cole isn’t looking at it that way.
"J.D. is a pretty big-time slugger, and seems like a pretty resilient individual based on the career path to get to being a big-time slugger in a big-time market," Cole said. "I mean, he’s got some magic and he’s got a lot of talent, and so in situations like that, I think you have just got to try to stay vigilant and execute the pitches to the best of your ability."
Extra bases
Boone said the Yankees had not settled on a lineup but indicated that second baseman Gleyber Torres "probably" will hit leadoff . . . Both teams’ workouts were canceled Monday because of rain that required the tarp to be on the field at Fenway. The forecast called for rain throughout the night and into the late morning, with the weather supposed to clear well in advance of first pitch, scheduled for just after 8 p.m.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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