Scott Thompson, SNY.tv | Twitter |
As I write this, there was supposed to be just six days until Opening Day. However, the coronavirus pandemic has suspended the season indefinitely.
MLB is doing what the rest of us are (hopefully) doing in taking the right precautions to counteract the spread of the virus. The league's latest guildelines allows players to remain at their spring facilities if they'd like, but only use of the gym and training facilites are allowed. No more organizated workouts can take place.
Players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and others are in still there to stay active and prepare for the season, while manager Aaron Boone is among those that drove home. It's a very sensitive and surreal situation, but it's what we all have to deal with at the moment.
But this pandemic isn't just shaking up our lives. It's also going to have a big impact on the Yankees' roster when that become a priority again down the road.
So, with that in mind, here is the latest Yankees 26-man roster:
Regular lineup
1) DJ LeMahieu 2B
2) Brett Gardner, CF
3) Gleyber Torres, SS
4) Giancarlo Stanton, LF
5) Luke Voit, 1B
6) Gary Sanchez, C
7) Miguel Andujar, DH
8) Gio Ushela, 3B
9) Clint Frazier, RF
The Yankees have been injured early this spring and it was expected that a few were going to miss the start of Opening Day, including Stanton. But the hiatus allows the former MVP more time to heal his calf strain. He's been working out down in Tampa, where his teammates and hitting coach Marcus Thames have all said he looks good. So we'll put him back in the lineup, ready to take over left field.
Judge could also be back by the time the regular season kicks off, but I'll err on the side of caution and say he won't be until that next test he's getting in a couple of weeks to see where his rib injury is at.
Starting rotation
RHP Gerrit Cole
LHP James Paxton
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
LHP J.A. Happ
LHP Jordan Montgomery
Another key player back from injury comes in the form of Paxton, who was rehabbing after needing surgery to remove a cyst in his lower back. He was shooting for mid-May as a return date before the season was suspended. And with the way things are going right now to go along with the three-week "spring training" the league put in place before the official start of the season, I'll take a guess and say Paxton is back in the rotation.
That would be ideal as Boone would've had to decide who would be his fifth starter with Luis Severino out after Tommy John surgery. Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa were all candidates for that final spot. If Paxton couldn't return.
Video: BNNY: Living Room Edition, Talking Torres and Mets
Bench
Tyler Wade, UTIL
Mike Tauchman, OF
Thairo Estrada, INF
Mike Ford, 1B/DH
Kyle Higashioka, C
Not much changes with the bench here, but Tauchman finds his way here again after Stanton's return. Rosell Herrera is still a candidate after having a stellar spring, and with the versatility already in the Yankees' starting infield, Estrada could be sent down to allow Herrera to stay up. Definitely an option there.
Bullpen
LHP Aroldis Chapman
LHP Zack Britton
RHP Adam Ottavino
RHP Chad Green
RHP Tommy Kahnle
RHP Jonathan Holder
RHP Luis Cessa
Once again, this group stays the exact same.