Yankees’ Austin Slater on Road to Recovery
The Yankees are close to welcoming back a player they secured at the trade deadline.
On Friday night, Austin Slater began his rehabilitation stint at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 2-for-3 in five innings after returning from a hamstring strain he sustained on August 4th.
He’s set to play again on Sunday, with another game scheduled for Tuesday before the Yankees decide to activate him.
“We’ll see if it makes the most sense in the next few days,” manager Aaron Boone commented before the Yankees’ impressive 10-2 victory over the White Sox.
The Yankees brought Slater on board this season for his ability to perform against left-handed pitchers, boasting a .795 OPS over his career.
With the roster increasing to 28 players starting Monday, the Yankees won’t need to send anyone down to accommodate Slater’s return.
Looking ahead to their series against the Astros on Tuesday, they called on catcher J.C. Escarla on a temporary basis. This move gives them a bit more flexibility for days when both Ben Rice and Austin Wells are in the lineup.
Some fans are suggesting that Spencer Jones should also be one of the September 1 call-ups, but that will depend on the available spots he can occupy.
It’s important to note that the team will only have one additional position player and one extra pitcher compared to the past when September call-ups had no limits, assuming the players are part of the 40-man roster.
“From a competitive standpoint, I think that’s likely the right approach,” Boone mentioned. “The game was very different back then. Teams used to have rosters that varied widely.”
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge played catch before Friday’s game, continuing his rehabilitation from a flexor strain, but there’s no clear timeline for his return to the field.
As for Giancarlo Stanton, he may not play in the field for all four games, but he did start in right field for the second consecutive game.
In an exciting note, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole his 25th base of the season on Friday, joining an elite group of Yankees who have achieved 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. This list includes greats like Bobby Bonds and Ricky Henderson.
Chisholm has turned things around recently, hitting 15-for-15 in the last 27 games after a rough stretch where he went 0-for-39 from June 11 to July 29. Following a health-related issue earlier in the season, the difference is significant, he mentioned.
“After everything that happened mid-season, I finally feel like I’ve gotten my feet back,” he said. “Now, I feel good enough to run every time I’m out there.”
