#Yankees’ Gary Sanchez isn’t bothered by potential playoff benchings
“#Yankees’ Gary Sanchez isn’t bothered by potential playoff benchings”
“I don’t focus on just who is behind the plate,’’ Sanchez said through an interpreter after the Yankees lost to the Marlins, 4-3, in 10 innings on Friday in The Bronx. “We’re a team and it’s important for people to understand the bottom line is winning. I’m a soldier on this team and if my name is in the lineup, I’m gonna be ready. If I’m not starting, I’m gonna be ready for when my team needs to be. Decisions are made. My responsibility is to be ready to play when the time comes.”
Sanchez’s woes both at the plate and behind it have forced the Yankees to consider starting Kyle Higashioka to catch at least Gerrit Cole during the postseason. On Thursday, Boone said he would go “day by day” with who would catch, in part based on performance.
Sanchez went 2-for-3 Friday, but also had a catcher’s interference in the fourth inning.
In his final start of the regular season, J.A. Happ allowed a three-run homer to Garrett Cooper, but that was it in five innings. The lefty said he was ready for the playoffs and was looking forward to finding out what his role would be. He figures to be a leading candidate to start a potential Game 3 in the best-of-three wild card round.
He declined to discuss his thoughts on falling short of his innings pitched requirement to activate a $17 million vesting option for next year. Earlier in the season, Happ expressed his displeasure with the team skipping some of his starts, believing it was an attempt to keep him from pitching enough innings.
Asked what his feelings on the subject were following Friday’s loss, Happ said: “Not right now. There may be a time and place. Tonight is not either.”
Giancarlo Stanton won’t exercise his player option following the season, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. According to sources, no final decision has been made by Stanton, but with Stanton coming off another season in which he was hindered by injuries and turning 31 in November, it seems all but certain that’s the likely outcome, since he’s owed seven years and $218 million and would enter an uncertain free agent market if he hit the market. He has struggled since his return from a hamstring injury and went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts Friday.
Luke Voit continues to hobble his way through the end of the regular season with an undisclosed foot injury.
And even though he could be seen limping noticeably following his ninth inning infield single in Thursday’s loss to the Blue Jays in Buffalo, Boone said Voit’s foot has improved.
“It’s actually been better lately,’’ Boone said before Voit started at first base in Friday’s game against the Marlins in The Bronx. “He’s moving better and running better the last few days. It’s just ugly when he goes to slow down and stop. It’s just something of a nuisance and painful when he’s doing certain things.”
His torrid home run pace has also slowed heading into Friday. Heading into the game, he’d gone 3-for-16 with no homers in four games. Voit still entered the day with an MLB-leading 21 home runs.
Boone said the Yankees would begin having conversations “in earnest” about their 28-man playoff roster Saturday or Sunday, especially as a potential opponent becomes more clear.
“We haven’t talked about formal roster decisions,’’ Boone said. “Who ends up being the opponent plays a factor in that.”
Clarke Schmidt is in line to make a start on Sunday’s regular season finale with a chance to make the postseason roster. Asked if the lack of video on young player’s from the alternate sites this year could work in a rookie’s favor, Boone said.
“I think there certainly can be that advantage when a guy hasn’t been seen a lot, especially a pitcher you haven’t seen,’’ Boone said. “In the end, you’ve got to be ready for the opportunity. You’re not gonna sneak up on anybody with a mediocre guy.”
Chad Green said he’s prepared to pitch three straight days in the postseason if necessary, especially with no days off in the early rounds.
“It’ll be different,’’ Green said of the schedule.
The right-hander has done so just once this season with mixed results. He gave up just an unearned run over those three appearances from Sept. 2-4, but in his following outing on Sept. 7, Green allowed four runs in ⅓ of an inning.
He admitted this season has “been a battle at times lately. I feel good and try to get as many reps as possible before the postseason starts.”
And he’s confident the bullpen will be a strong point for the Yankees in the playoffs.
“We’ll be ready,’’ Green said.
Of his regular season, Green added his mechanics have been tough to keep in line, in part because of the short spring training 2.0.
“It’s a daily battle to figure out what’s going well and trying to repeat it as much as possible,’’ Green said.
He entered Friday having pitched well since the outing against the Blue Jays, allowing one run in 5 ²/₃ innings with a walk and seven strikeouts in five appearances.
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