Encarnación swings pain-free in final tuneup
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NEW YORK -- On the June afternoon that Edwin Encarnación sported a Yankees uniform for the first time, the 15-year big league veteran was already looking toward October, remarking, “I’m coming to a team that's on its way to making the playoffs, and that's why we play.”
That mindset made Encarnación’s transition to New York a natural one, and it is why being ready for the postseason was the slugger’s primary focus over the past three weeks, after he sustained a left oblique strain Sept. 12.
“I don’t feel anything right now, thank God,” Encarnación said on Thursday. “I feel 100 percent, ready to go. Today in the cage with the [pitching] machine, I let it go, and I don’t feel anything.”
Encarnación is expected to be in the Yankees’ lineup as the designated hitter for Game 1 of the American League Division Series, a role he could fill throughout the Yankees’ postseason run.
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 4 | NYY 10, MIN 4 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 5 | NYY 8, MIN 2 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 7 | NYY 5, MIN 1 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: While Encarnación has played catch and taken grounders at first base, manager Aaron Boone said that he does not envision using Encarnación much, if at all, in the field. DJ LeMahieu is expected to start at first base, and the club should have Luke Voit and/or rookie Mike Ford to handle backup duties.
“It’s going to be an exciting series,” Encarnación said. “We’re going to have some fun out there, and it’s going to be fun to watch. You never know in this game what could happen. I know we’re going to hit a lot of homers.”
Here comes Santa Claus
Though the Yankees are believed to have made most of their significant decisions in advance of Friday’s 10 a.m. ET deadline to submit the ALDS roster to Major League Baseball, Boone played it coy during his news conference on Thursday, even declining to state if the club would go forward with 12 or 13 pitchers.
“It will be like Christmas morning tomorrow,” Boone quipped. “You'll wake up, and you've got something waiting for you under the tree.”
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The big bang
Right fielder Aaron Judge acknowledged that there was some concern after he landed hard on his left shoulder in a Sept. 18 game against the Angels, attempting to snare an Albert Pujols single to right field.
“It creeps into your mind when you first dive and kind of jar things up, but once I started playing again, once I was back in the lineup swinging, throwing, everything feels fine,” Judge said.
• Shop for postseason gear: Twins | Yankees
Though the Yankees were cautious, giving Judge three days as the designated hitter before returning him to defensive duty, the play did not seem to affect Judge’s stroke. He hit .278 with two homers and a 1.038 OPS in his final five games of the regular season.
“There’s always a scare,” Judge said. “I’ve got 270 [pounds], 6-[foot]-7 falling on the ground. It's a big impact, but we're feeling good. There was never a doubt once I started moving around again.”
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Happ’s role TBD
J.A. Happ has not pretended to be pleased about being left out of the Yanks’ initial group of starting pitchers, but there remains a chance that the veteran left-hander could receive a start later in this ALDS -- potentially in Game 4, if necessary.
It has also been suggested that the Yankees could utilize Chad Green as an opener in Game 4. Happ, who was 12-8 with a 4.91 ERA in 31 games (30 starts) this season, has been told that he should be available out of the bullpen for at least the first two ALDS games.
• Here is the 2019 postseason schedule
“We feel like there's a potential role for him in these first couple of games, but then after that over there, he'll fall into the mix as a possible starter for us,” Boone said. “We could use him as a bulk guy. We'll try and have him prepared for a lot of different roles, but he'll certainly, in some way, shape, or form, be in play the first two games.”
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CC the cheerleader
While CC Sabathia would prefer to be an active member of the ALDS roster, the left-hander’s sore pitching shoulder will instead have him on the dugout bench throughout the series against the Twins, where he plans to be among the loudest voices pulling for the squad.
“Just rooting, cheering, being there for the guys,” Sabathia said. “I’ll just try to be there as much as possible, whatever role I can be in, and, obviously, still working to try to get back out there myself. “
Sabathia and outfielder Brett Gardner are the only remaining members of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series championship team.
“He wants to be out there and compete with the guys as much, if not more, than anybody in this room,” Gardner said. “He'll be right there in the dugout with us, cheering for his guys like he always does. My heart hurts for him a little bit knowing he won't be able to be on the field for it, but, hopefully, he'll get a chance later in the postseason.”