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Aaron Boone: I expect Matt Carpenter to be on Yankees playoff roster

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Yankees Matt Carpenter
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, second from right, and a trainer, right, talk with Matt Carpenter after he fouled a ball off his ankle against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Seattle. He was replaced in the lineup after his at bat.
AP Photo/John Froschauer

Don’t be surprised to see Matt Carpenter on the Yankees playoff roster and an option for the Bombers in the American League Divisional Series. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told The Michael Kay Show that the injured outfielder is expected to be able to be a part of the Yankees’ playoff run. Carpenter has not played since Aug. 8 when he broke his foot. 

“Carpenter I think is going to be an option,” Boone said during his weekly radio spot on 98.7 FM ESPN New York. “I expect him to be on the roster. Maybe not a real option on the field in the first round but definitely I think a bullet off the bench. It’s certainly trending in that direction.”

The veteran outfielder is one of several injured Yankees that the team is keeping an eye on ahead of their ALDS matchup with either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays. But the success for the MLB veteran had seemingly come out of nowhere after he signed with the Yankees as a free agent in May. 

Carpenter slashed .305/.412/.727 in 47 games with 15 home runs and 37 RBIs. 

The veteran ballplayer has been down at the Yankees alternate site down in Double-A Somerset working out and getting in live at-bats. Seeing Carpenter get as many at-bats as possible has been the Yankees skipper’s main priority as they try to determine who will be on the postseason roster. 

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“The biggest thing is him getting in there and seeing live pitching,” Boone said in Texas, according to NJ.com. “He’s had five or so at-bats each day (of late) and now we’ll get eyes on him through the weekend and into next week. I’m optimistic and feel like physically he’s in a pretty good place.”

The addition of the left-handed batter would help bring a bit more variety to the Yankees lineup as well, even if it is off the bench.