Yankees Announce 26-Man Roster For ALDS: Who Was Left Off?
NEW YORK — After plenty of speculation, and even some drama, the Yankees’ roster for the American League Division Series is now set.
New York made it official with an announcement leading up to Game 1 of the ALDS on Tuesday.
Let’s break this list of 26 players down and walk through the snubs and surprises...
Pitchers (12)
Miguel Castro
Gerrit Cole
Nestor Cortes
Domingo Germán
Clay Holmes
Jonathan Loáisiga
Lucas Luetge
Wandy Peralta
Clarke Schmidt
Luis Severino
Jameson Taillon
Lou Trivino
The massive and unexpected omission from this group is right-hander Scott Effross, one of the pitchers that New York acquired at this year's trade deadline.
Effross was left off the ALDS roster because he needs Tommy John surgery according to Jack Curry of YES Network.
When you factor in the rest of New York's injuries—missing the likes of Michael King, Ron Marinaccio, Chad Green, Zack Britton and more—this is a significant blow. Effross was dominant when healthy in the second half after he was traded from the Cubs to the Yankees. There was a good chance he was going to pitch in save situations in the playoffs. Not anymore.
With Effross out, Miguel Castro gets the nod. Castro posted a 4.03 ERA this year, missing much of the second half with a shoulder injury. If Aroldis Chapman didn't skip a mandatory workout, odds are he gets this spot. Instead, it's Castro.
The pressure is on for relievers like Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loáisiga, Lou Trivino and first-half closer Clay Holmes to step up in October. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Monday that starter Jameson Taillon could pitch in high-leverage spots out of the bullpen as well.
Position Players (14)
Harrison Bader
Oswaldo Cabrera
Matt Carpenter
Josh Donaldson
Marwin Gonzalez
Aaron Hicks
Kyle Higashioka
Aaron Judge
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Tim Locastro
Anthony Rizzo
Giancarlo Stanton
Gleyber Torres
Jose Trevino
DJ LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza did not make the Yankees' roster for the ALDS either.
LeMahieu has been compromised, trying to work back from a toe injury that landed him on the injured list in September. This isn't a huge surprise—LeMahieu has been struggling since returning from the IL and it was clear he wasn't 100 percent. There was a chance the Yankees still gave it a go and had LeMahieu on the bench, but they chose healthier reserve options instead.
Peraza, meanwhile, made a strong first impression with the big-league club after he was called up in September. He hit .306/.404/.429 and provided a spark over 18 games. New York made the call to keep veteran utility man Marwin Gonzalez on the roster instead. Pinch-running specialist Tim Locastro and outfielder Aaron Hicks made the team as well.
MORE:
- Yankees Understand It Will Take Their Best to Defeat Guardians in ALDS
- MLB Insider Lists Yankees as Likely Suitor to Sign Jacob deGrom This Offseason
- 5 Observations From Yankees' Final Workout Before Game 1 of ALDS
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