The New York Yankees were holding out hope that star slugger Matt Carpenter would make a return for the postseason, but those expectations are dwindling after his latest rehab update.
With just 16 games left until the regular season comes to an end, manager Aaron Boone is still unsure if Carpenter will be ready.
“I am not sure,” Boone said regarding Carpenter’s rehab process. “I think it kind of depends on when they X-ray next and then what that allows him to do from a ramp-up standpoint.”
Per Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News
The Yankees will run another x-ray on Carpenter within the next few days, hoping to get positive news about the structural damage to his fractured foot. It was always a long shot he would be able to return, especially from an injury that takes quite a while to recover from. Being 36 years old also doesn’t help with his process and pain threshold.
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The Yankees miss Matt Carpenter’s bat in the lineup:
Losing him was an instant negative when he suffered the injury on August 8 against the Seattle Mariners. On the season, Carpenter was hitting .305 with a 41.2% on-base rate, including 15 homers and 37 RBIs over 154 plate appearances. He features a 217 wRC+, indicating he was 117% better than the average MLB player.
While he didn’t offer a ton defensively, spending a few games at first base, third base, and in the outfield, his value primarily came with the bat in his hands.
In fact, with runners in scoring position, Carpenter was hitting .324 with a 47.8% on-base rate, including seven homers and 26 RBIs. Matt went parabolic after a few down years with the St. Louis Cardinals that hurt his stock as a veteran. After enjoying a cross-country trip to fix his swing, the Yankees capitalized while he sat with the Texas Rangers AAA affiliate.
There is still a slight chance that Carpenter makes a return if the Yankees receive good news on his next x-ray, but I wouldn’t expect to see him again this season.