Yanks preparing for all playoff possibilities

September 26th, 2020

NEW YORK -- The Yankees know that they will be taking the field to begin a Wild Card Series on Tuesday, and that’s pretty much all they’re sure of. With several destinations and opponents still in play, manager Aaron Boone said that the club is preparing for all possibilities.

“We understand the odds of a few teams that could be in play,” Boone said. “We have a decent idea of the scenarios. It’ll be fun to watch it play out and to see who ends up being our opponent.”

Prior to Friday’s action, the Yankees (32-25) held the American League’s No. 5 seed. If the season had ended at that point, New York would open the postseason on the road, facing the No. 4-seeded White Sox (34-23).

“I don’t think we necessarily have a preference, and to speculate on all the possibilities, it’s kind of too tough right now,” said right-hander Chad Green. “We’re just honestly taking it a day at a time and seeing what happens. There’s so much that can happen in these last three days.”

Boone said that the Yankees have had light conversations about each of their potential opponents, recognizing that the final three regular-season games could shift the picture drastically.

“We haven’t had formal [talks] as far as roster decisions,” Boone said. “We’ll start to have those in earnest, possibly even [Saturday] night. Obviously, who ends up being our opponent plays a factor in that.”

The Yankees have decided on their postseason player pool, though they will not announce it until Monday morning. Green said that he believes the Yankees’ bullpen is ready for the workload that this unique postseason will demand.

“It’s definitely going to be different with no off-days unless you sweep a series,” Green said. “I think we’re all excited to see how it’s going to play out.”

Powering through
Luke Voit has dealt with an unspecified foot issue for weeks -- potentially plantar fasciitis -- which has made it difficult for him on the basepaths. One such example came in the ninth inning on Thursday, as Voit legged out an infield hit in New York’s eventual 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

Voit appeared to be in significant discomfort, but Boone said that the Major Leagues’ home run leader will be able to remain in the lineup despite what the manager has referred to as Voit’s “foot stuff.”

“He’s actually been running better the last few days; it’s just ugly when he goes to slow down and stop,” Boone said. “It’s something that’s a nuisance and a little bit painful when he’s doing certain things. Even talking to him last night after the game, he said the last few days, he’s started to feel better as far as how he’s been able to move.”

This date in Yankees history
Sept. 25, 2014: Derek Jeter walked off as a winner in his final game at Yankee Stadium, stroking a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Yankees defeated the Orioles, 6-5.