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ANAHEIM -- As the calendar flips to September, the regular-season finish line is finally in sight, and with it comes the reality of the stretch run.
The Yankees enter the final month facing a dual challenge: chasing down the American League East crown while simultaneously setting up their roster for October. Sitting 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays following a series win in Anaheim -- capped by a wild five-run, two-out rally in extra innings on Wednesday -- New York currently holds the top AL Wild Card spot ahead of Boston and Cleveland. That status was strengthened by taking three of four from the Red Sox last week to secure the season series tiebreaker, locking in home-field advantage over Boston in any potential Wild Card tie.
Yet, while every win matters in the standings right now, the primary storyline hovering over the team's West Coast road trip is the impending return of captain Aaron Judge.
Judge, who has been out since May 31 recovering from a right rib fracture, is traveling with the club and ramping up baseball activities. Before Wednesday’s series finale against the Angels, Judge was on the field participating in long toss and running drills around the bases. His return to the lineup is targeted for the upcoming September homestand. Getting their top hitter back would give New York a massive middle-of-the-order boost right as the games matter most.
“We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us,” manager Aaron Boone said regarding the September outlook. “Put ourselves in position -- like I’ve said a lot -- to realize all our hopes and dreams and our goals. But we’ve got to play well, and hopefully, we’re at our best when it matters the most. Feel good about our group, feel good about hopefully some of the guys that will get back sprinkled in this month.”
While Judge’s return provides offensive relief, the pitching staff presents a puzzle that pitching coach Matt Blake and Boone must solve over the next four weeks.
September is all about sorting out roles to stabilize the relief corps and structure the postseason pitching staff. Beyond high-leverage mainstays like David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Brent Headrick and Tim Hill, the front office and coaching staff are actively testing new options to navigate right-handed-heavy lineups and protect heavily used arms.
A potential piece of that puzzle arrived on Aug. 31, when the Yankees claimed right-hander John Schreiber off waivers from the Royals -- sneaking him onto the roster just in time to secure postseason eligibility. Schreiber brings a distinct sidearm slot and a proven track record against right-handed hitters, holding them to a .140 batting average this season. For a bullpen sorting out its late-inning roles, Schreiber offers a tailored weapon to pair alongside the existing core.
"He's an accomplished right-on-right reliever in this league," Blake said of Schreiber. "He's had a lot of success getting righties out. He's got a good fastball mix to the righties, can spin it. So I think there's an avenue for him to have success with us if we can kind of get him going here."
Schreiber isn't the only addition being evaluated in real time. The Yankees are also integrating veteran Michael Fulmer and monitoring Ryan Yarbrough’s multi-inning versatility. Meanwhile, starter Luis Gil has been brought up to be evaluated out of the bullpen after showing improved fastball velocity and vertical movement in Triple-A. While he is built up to 40-45 pitches, Gil gives New York the flexibility for long relief or short, high-velocity bursts depending on how his early outings play out.
To help manage the workload across the entire unit, the Yankees plan to have right-hander Will Warren piggyback off Max Fried’s scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Friday. Fried recently returned from a 15-day stint on the injured list due to a bone bruise in his pitching elbow and was held to 63 pitches in his first start back against Boston.
Warren, coming off one of his strongest outings of the year after throwing seven innings of one-run ball on Sunday, provides length to take the strain off the bullpen while Fried builds his pitch count back up.
While piggybacking two starters can sometimes signal a dry run for postseason roster strategy, Boone clarified that this move is simply practical roster management driven by the calendar.
"No, that's just the way it lines up," Boone said when asked if the piggyback was a preview of October strategy.
“We all understand where we are in the season and how important all these games are,” Boone said of the conversation with Warren regarding the piggyback role. “And in Will’s case, how important he is to this team and what we’re doing. We’re trying to win, and I think everyone understands that at this point.”
Keeping Warren on turn out of the bullpen also gives the Yankees flexibility with rookie right-hander Elmer Rodríguez, keeping depth in place with another doubleheader looming later in the month against the Rays.
“This month, obviously trying to chase down the division is one piece of it,” Blake said. “But [we’re] being smart about our heavy usage with Blackburn and Headrick in particular and then finding out how the other guys fit around that for a potential postseason roster.”
Every inning logged this September serves a dual purpose. For the Yankees, the next 22 games aren't just about making up 3 1/2 games in the standings -- they are about building a healthy, complete roster ready for the postseason.