Amed Rosario Is on Thin Ice Amid September Call-Ups

The New York Yankees will expand their active roster to 28 players in September, meaning that a few players could be on the chopping block or facing diminished roles.

By rule, Major League Baseball allows one position player and one pitcher to be added to the roster on September 1. In the Yankees' case, the position player call-up will likely be Anthony Volpe, who was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when George Lombard Jr. was promoted to the big leagues.

This would give the Yankees a logjam of infielders: Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jose Caballero, Volpe, Lombard, Ryan McMahon, and Amed Rosario. Even though some of these players (most notably Caballero) are capable of playing multiple positions, there are still only four spots on any given day, and the Yankees wouldn't call up Volpe if they don't plan on giving him playing time.

That said, of all these options, Rosario is likely the odd man out.

Why Amed Rosario is vulnerable in a roster crunch

The 30-year-old Rosario has still enjoyed some noteworthy highlights this year. Recently, he delivered a key plate appearance against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, drawing a ninth-inning walk, as the Yankees were down to their final out, which set up a game-tying hit from Ben Rice.

Man talk about having a remarkable PA.

Amed Rosario is a swing-happy hitter, Atlanta tried to play into that with numerous pitches that he normally offers at, and he just wore Raisel Iglesias out.

A gassed Iglesias then had to face Ben Rice, who pelted a hanger off the wall. pic.twitter.com/Fb7EMhG5J5
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) August 8, 2026

But Rosario's production in bulk has been a net negative. At the plate, he's slashing .231/.274/.434 with 10 home runs and a 95 wRC+ in 197 plate appearances, and has just six hits in his last 31 at-bats. In the field, he's been a butcher no matter where he plays, with a combined -8 Fielding Run Value at second base, third base, and the corner outfield spots, per Baseball Savant. Overall, Rosario has posted -0.2 fWAR in 69 games this season.

The Yankees brought Rosario back during the offseason to platoon against left-handed pitching, but he's been ineffective in this role, hitting only .198 with a .625 OPS and 71 wRC+ off southpaws. This leaves him as a utility player who can't hit or field, while being outshined by his other teammates.

Most of Rosario's reps have happened at third base to platoon with the lefty-swinging Ryan McMahon. Yet McMahon has been far more valuable this season despite his poor offensive production. He at least brings a good glove at the hot corner, which is especially important when the Yankees are relying on their pitching to win games. Even with an 84 wRC+, McMahon currently has 0.9 fWAR for the year.

Ryan McMahon wins it for the @Yankees in the 10th! pic.twitter.com/CFcR8iSJQ3
— MLB (@MLB) August 8, 2026

In essence, Rosario has become a less effective Caballero. Although he's also struggled lately, Caballero plays better defense while being a stolen-base threat for the Yankees, an aspect that isn't part of Rosario's game.

With so many infielders vying for playing time, Rosario has no clear advantages at the plate or on defense. So if he doesn't figure things out before rosters expand, his time in the Bronx could come to an end.

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