NYY News: Decisions, decisions

Sep 28, 2022 - 9:00 AM

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New York Times | Gary Phillips: Despite the Yankees clinching a division title last night, there are still a number of legitimate questions surrounding the team’s playoff roster. In addition to his struggles, Frankie Montas is now on the IL and is likely ruled out of being in the postseason rotation. Aaron Hicks has played better of late, but he’s likely out of an outfield spot with Oswaldo Cabrera’s emergence and Harrison Bader’s return, never mind the possibilities that Matt Carpenter and Andrew Benintendi return. There were reports that the Yankees may just straight up DFA Aroldis Chapman. There’s quite a number of interesting possibilities and decisions to be made.

Sports Illustrated | Gary Phillips: One of the potential returners is Matt Carpenter. He’s been out since August 8th after breaking his foot by fouling a ball off it, but the Yankees are hoping that he could be back before the postseason. Nothing has been decided yet, but there’s hope that Carpenter could return for the regular season-ending series against the Rangers. Carpenter had been a revelation for the Yankees before the injury.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: Speaking of returns from injury, here’s an update about another. DJ LeMahieu, who has been out since September 4th while dealing with a toe injury that has affected him for much of the second half of the season, is expected to be activated in the coming days. The Yankees could bring him back as early as today, but he will almost certainly be taken off the IL for the upcoming Orioles’ series.

FiveThirtyEight | Robert O’Connell: An upcoming ESPN Films production is set to take a look at the late ‘70s/early ‘80s battles between the Yankees and Dodgers. In honor of that, here’s a look back at those times, and the possibility that the two could meet in the World Series this year.