Yankees Facing Another Injury as Playoffs Near

The New York Yankees are facing the rubber match in their contentious series with the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays, and yet another critical slugger may be injured at an unfortunate time.

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt, still apparently recovering from a low-grade knee sprain from mid-August, was only available in an emergency for the Yankees' second game vs. the Blue Jays, and the organization has no update on his status yet.

Per Dan Martin of the New York Post, Aaron Boone is still optimistic that the injury is not serious, but the first baseman underwent further testing and has not batted well since the injury scare. In his last seven games, Goldschmidt is batting .130/ .160/ .174 with four hits and one RBI. On the season, Goldy is much more reliable, with a .277/ .328/ .417 slash line and 10 homers, the 37-year-old veteran is critical when he's healthy.

Utility man Ben Rice, who has played catcher and first base primarily this season, stood in for Goldschmidt at first in the Blue Jays game and went 1-for-4. Goldschmidt was not put in late in the game to pinch hit.

Aug 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) relieves a standing ovation from the fans before his first game back to play against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Yankees fans are loath to trust Boone lately, as Aaron Judge's seemingly rushed return to the outfield has called the organization's honesty into question. Judge opted not to make a critical throw to home from the outfield during the Yankees' loss to the Blue Jays, despite Boone's hard and consistent line that he is able to make those throws. Almost three weeks ago, even Boone and Judge appeared to have different answers on the Judge question. Boone projected that Judge would not reappear this season at all, and Judge insinuated that Boone had not seen his throwing program and was not privy to the reality of the situation. As another injury looms, it's difficult to parse the truth.

Giancarlo Stanton, who has replaced Judge in the outfield while he recovers, has performed well despite two years away from the outfield. If Goldschmidt's injury is a lasting one, the same juggling that has been necessary between right field and designated hitter will be necessary at first base. If Rice is slumping, it may put the Yankees' desired comeback at risk.

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