The New York Yankees are about to get a boost they probably didn’t expect to need this badly. Trent Grisham is expected back on the active roster at some point during the team’s current homestand, manager Aaron Boone confirmed to reporters over the weekend. That’s a real shift in tone from just a couple weeks ago, when Grisham went down with a right hamstring strain rounding the bases against Toronto on June 13.
Boone has been pretty consistent about Grisham’s value to this club. It’s not just about the bat, though the .232/.341/.406 line with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 66 games is perfectly fine for a fourth outfielder. It’s the glove. Grisham can play all three outfield spots and save runs late in games. With Aaron Judge still on the injured list and the lineup looking thin at times, having a reliable defensive replacement who can also start a couple times a week matters a lot.
The timing here is everything. New York enters this homestand holding a one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the AL East. That’s not much. And the Yankees have gone 4-6 over their last 10, which is the kind of slide that starts to feel loud when a team like the Rays is lurking. Boone’s club could really use another steady outfielder who won’t be overwhelmed by the moment.
Rehab assignment is the next step
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, Boone said Grisham will likely play in at least one Minor League rehab game before being activated. That’s a smart move. Let him test the hamstring on live at-bats, run the bases aggressively, and track fly balls in game conditions. The Yankees don’t want to rush him back and lose him for another month.
Grisham ran the bases at Yankee Stadium last week without any issue, which is why this timeline moved up. The original concern was obviously more serious. Hamstrings can be tricky. The Yankees seem confident he’s past the worst of it.
Roster move coming
When Grisham gets activated, someone has to go. The most logical candidate is rookie Spencer Jones, who would head back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Jones has shown flashes but is still developing. The Yankees can afford to let him get regular at-bats in the minors while Grisham plugs the gap in the big league outfield.
This return also takes some pressure off the front office to make an immediate trade. There was chatter about whether New York would need to go outside the organization for outfield help. For now, the answer is probably not. Grisham gives them a capable left-handed bat and Gold Glove-level defense. That’s a solid internal fix at a time when one-game leads don’t feel very comfortable.
Leave a Comment