The New York Yankees have battled injuries continuously this season, with the latest haunting Edwin Encarnacion (oblique strain) and Gary Sanchez (groin strain). The outfield, however, has been decimated to a point where the depth is dwindling.
Career-average player Mike Tauchman, elevated his game this season to hit .277 on the year before suffering a calf injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. An unfortunate circumstance for the Yanks, who have missed a combined 2,000+ games with all of their injuries.
The outfield heading into the postseason will consist of Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier, and Giancarlo Stanton. Cameron Maybin will also be available for the postseason.
Judge commented on the status of the unit and who will need to step up for the postseason, per the NY Post:
To be honest, maybe going into it, it might have been Tauchman, Gardy and me in the outfield with Stanton DH-ing. We got Edwin [Encarnacion], you don’t want to see Edwin hurt [oblique], Tauchman is hurt, so I think [Stanton] will just slide right into that left-field role for us, mix in a DH a little bit.
In regards to Stanton’s return and his influence for the New York Yankees:
He is a big piece. I know a lot of people might have said, ‘Why bring him in now? He’s missing the year, you got a good thing going on.’ But he is an MVP, he knows what to do. He’s come back from injuries before, he knows how to come back.
Giancarlo, a former MVP, will return to the lineup this upcoming week, providing a massive boost for the hitting order and also a defensive option for the outfield. His slugging ability and run production should help supplement any deficiencies in the pitching rotation, which should be expected.
The Bombers will also return starting pitcher Luis Severino to the rotation next week. He will help significantly with the starters and present an additional option for the postseason.
EXTRA:
One player that has been fantastic lately is James Paxton. On Saturday night, he went five innings, allowing just one run on three hits before handing the ball over to Cory Gearrin. The Yankees will feature him in their three-man rotation for the postseason.