BOSTON -- The Yankees have altered their pitching plans for the next two days against the Red Sox now that home-field advantage has been secured for the American League Wild Card Game, pushing Lance Lynn into a relief role for Saturday's game and scratching Luis Severino as Sunday's starter.
Domingo German was inserted as Saturday's starter in place of Lynn, whom Yankees manager Aaron Boone said will be utilized as a reliever in the postseason. Boone said he still plans for Lynn to be on the mound at some point in Saturday's game.
"He will pitch, as we want to get him a little more used to the role we envision for him in the postseason," Boone said.
Severino remains in contention to start the Wild Card Game against the A's on Wednesday, along with J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka. Boone said that there is a chance Severino could appear in relief on Sunday, but that plan is still yet to be hashed out between Severino, Boone and pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
General manager Brian Cashman has traveled to Boston, and Boone said that the Yankees will have a lengthy meeting after Saturday's game to determine the identity of their Wild Card Game starter, as well as the final spots on their roster. The club could be prepared to make an announcement on Sunday.
"I think we'll come out of this evening with a pretty strong idea of which way we're leaning," Boone said. "I would say it's possible."
Tarp's on
Stephen Tarpley simply hoped to compile some big league innings when the Yankees included him among their September callups, but the 25-year-old left-hander is now a legitimate candidate to make the postseason roster.
Tarpley has impressed with his sinker-slider mix, retiring 10 of the 12 left-handed batters he has faced with a hit and a walk.
That permits Boone and the Yankees to consider him as a situational left-hander for the playoffs, a role they do not have assigned despite the presence of lefties like Albertin Chapman and Zach Britton.

"It's awesome," Tarpley said. "It's something that I've been dreaming about, but then again, I can't over-hype it. I've got to continue doing what I'm doing. That's the position they want me to fill with the way I've been doing my job. If that's the opportunity that I'm going to have here, I've just got to be ready for that."
Tarpley was acquired from the Pirates in the July 2016 Ivan Nova trade and split this season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, combining to go 7-2 with a 1.94 ERA, two saves and 71 strikeouts in 36 games (69 2/3 innings). After a shaky big league debut on Sept. 2, Tarpley has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances.
"I kind of just got called up and was like, 'All right, I'm here,'" Tarpley said. "I was going to pitch and get some innings, and get my feet wet. I've been a little bit more comfortable out there. If it is me [on the playoff roster], it's awesome, that's something I've been dreaming about. If not, I still got my feet wet."
This date in Yankees history
Sept. 29, 1987: Don Mattingly takes Bruce Hurst deep for his sixth grand slam of the season in a 6-0 victory over the Red Sox, setting a Major League record. Travis Hafner equaled Mattingly's record in 2006.