Yankees Welcome Back Grisham and Wells
TORONTO – After both players missed games recently, Trent Grisham and Austin Wells returned to the Yankees lineup, marking their first appearances since dealing with injuries.
Grisham had been sidelined due to hamstring tightness after leaving Monday’s game. There were initial concerns that he might end up on the injured list. Fortunately, he recovered quicker than anticipated and was ready to play against the Blue Jays in the series finale on Thursday.
“He feels pretty good about it. The training staff is optimistic,” Boone commented prior to the Yankees’ 8-5 loss. “Is he at 100%? Maybe not. But it feels good enough for us.”
Grisham was inserted back into the leadoff position, and he had a notable day, going 3-1 with a walk and hitting a solo home run that tied the game in the third inning.
His return allowed Boone to move Cody Bellinger to right field and gave Aaron Judge a designated hitter day after being active in the field for the past three games.
Although he had cooled off from a hot start, Grisham finished Thursday’s game second on the team with 15 home runs and an .816 OPS over 73 games.
“He’s been crucial for us both offensively and defensively,” Boone noted. “His play in center field and consistent batting have been invaluable. Even during slumps, he still delivers solid at-bats. He’s an excellent two-way player for us.”
On the other hand, Wells made his first start as catcher on Saturday after a health scare involving reduced circulation in his left index finger, which unfortunately revealed arterial damage but wasn’t as serious as it could have been.
Wells contributed by going 4-1 with a walk and a strikeout in Thursday’s game.
After the game, the Yankees made the decision to send Clayton Beater back to Triple-A following a performance where he allowed three hits and three runs, all while covering only 1²/₃ innings.
DJ LeMahieu was absent from Thursday’s lineup, yet the team opted not to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to his primary defensive position at second base. Instead, Chisholm stayed at third, while Oswald Peraza took the start at second.
“I don’t want to force that situation unnecessarily,” Boone explained regarding Chisholm’s position.
When questioned about the possibility of shifting Chisholm back to second base, Boone indicated that it’s an ongoing assessment. “We’re evaluating our roster and looking for what makes the most sense,” he said. “It’s something I’m considering.”
Peraza was replaced for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning, and LeMahieu ended up with two bases during the game.
In their last encounter with Juan Soto, the Yankees managed to keep him in check during the Metro Series in May, allowing him four walks and striking him out three times.
Now, returning for this weekend’s rematch, Soto is coming off a strong performance in June, having earned NL Player of the Month honors.
“He had an incredible month,” Boone remarked. “So, it’s going to be a challenge to contain him. We need to execute at a high level.”
Additionally, the Yankees signed veteran infielder Nikki Lopez to a minor league contract on Thursday, while losing Triple-A infielder CJ Alexander to the Dodgers.
