Yankees have plenty of decisions to make about postseason roster
New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman reacts as he leaves during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
In a season that’s both long and unforgiving, the Yankees earned the rare benefit of time when they locked up the AL East title in Toronto on Tuesday. But even though they won’t be playing “meaningful” games for another week and a half, these days leading up to the Division Series will prove to be pivotal as manager Aaron Boone makes tricky playoff roster decisions.
“We’re about 11 days away” from finishing up the evaluation process, Boone said Friday before the Yankees' game against the Orioles — meaning the day of ALDS Game 1 on Oct. 11. “It’ll be ongoing to that point and up to what opponent we’re facing. These games are important in that regard to see what we have with certain guys and then those five days [off] leading into the Division Series all the way up to who ends up being the opponent.”
There are a few factors at play, the most obvious being who’s healthy enough to contribute, but some of the biggest gambles are a product of who the Yankees already have active in their bullpen.
After missing 13 months because of Tommy John surgery, Zack Britton made his return this month, and though the lefty otherwise would be a playoff lock, he’s been erratic in his two appearances before Friday's game, walking five in two-thirds of an inning.
Britton replaced Domingo German with runners on second and third and one out in the sixth. He walked Gunnar Henderson, threw a very wild pitch to the backstop that allowed the Orioles to take a 2-1 lead and was removed because of what the Yankees called ''left arm fatigue.''
“I know he feels really good, which is good,” Boone said before the game. “I do feel like the arm speed is there and the stuff is there. Now it’s just a matter of getting sharp and finding that next level of command and finding the timing of his release point and being in these games. They’ll get opportunities here and gotta make those evaluations.”
There’s also the question of what to do with Aroldis Chapman, who’s struggled with his mechanics this year and has been highly inconsistent. He has been better of late, entering Friday night with four straight scoreless, hitless appearances in which he struck out five in 3 1/3 innings.
Asked if Chapman still has to earn his spot on the playoff roster, Boone hemmed before essentially saying yes.
“I’m really excited about where Chappy is physically and he has an outing that he had the other night in Toronto where, that’s it right there,” he said. “That’s dynamic, and we know he can be that guy. So it’ll be an important week for him to hopefully get some regular work and continue to have that consistency.”
They’re also waiting to see who’ll be ready and when: Frankie Montas (shoulder inflammation) is set to start throwing Saturday, but he’s been far from the rotational lock the Yankees imagined when they traded for him at the deadline. A spot in the bullpen could be an option, if he’s healthy. Wandy Peralta (spine) should be ready by the end of the regular season and Miguel Castro (shoulder) is ready to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list, though the Yankees haven’t made a move yet.
All told, if the Yankees go with a nine-man bullpen for their 26-man roster, that means three guys out — a group that potentially could include Chapman, Britton, Clarke Schmidt or Lucas Luetge.
Of course, the decisions don’t stop there. The Yankees have to see if Andrew Benintendi (broken wrist) will be ready for the playoffs, and it seems as if Matt Carpenter (broken foot) should at least be a pinch-hitting option. All of that makes for a crowded outfield, one that could exclude Aaron Hicks.
Carpenter, who took batting practice on the field Friday, will have to go without any rehab games because the minor-league season is over. He’ll either be activated for the Yankees' final series against Texas or work at a training facility the Yankees are setting up in Somerset, New Jersey, home of their Double-A affiliate. Either way, it sounds as if he is headed for the ALDS.
“He’s doing really well,” Boone said. “Does it make sense to have him come there [to Texas] and maybe get a pinch-hit at-bat or two or three, or does it make more sense to start getting live ABs at Somerset and potentially, [enter] a Division Series scenario [with] seven, 10 days of live at-bats? I think we’re probably leaning more that way.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
