New York Post | Greg Joyce On September 4th, Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham suffered what was later deemed a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. He was placed on the injured list the following day and was considered unlikely to return before the end of the regular season. That remains the case, both because he isn’t quite ready and because it’s logistically difficult to bring him back before the playoffs.
“I know he’s trending to be close, but the activation might be a little complicated,” manager Aaron
Boone said Sunday morning at Chase Field. To bring Grisham back, they have to option or DFA someone, and if they do that, that player wouldn’t be eligible to be recalled for 10 days (15 if it’s a pitcher), virtually eliminating whoever it is from consideration for the Wild Card Series and possibly beyond.
Spencer Jones has been filling in for Grisham in center field and should continue to do so while Grisham is out. For all we know, the latter might not be ready in time for the Wild Card round, but he does seem to be trending in the right direction. At some point, the Yankees will need to make a decision — though sticking Grisham into a situation where he’s playing in a postseason games when he hasn’t taken an at-bat in nearly a month could certainly be a questionable bit of business.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Clarke Schmidt, who was activated from the injured list last week, was warming up to enter Sunday’s game against the D-backs but experienced soreness/cramping in his right biceps. He and the Yankees decided he wouldn’t pitch in the game. Per Joyce, “He’ll see the doc when they get home, but Schmidt and the Yankees are hoping it’s not a big deal.”
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips With the Yankees falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and the Tampa Bay Rays winning again, the latter have a six-game cushion in the AL East heading into the last week. There’s a four-game set between the two powerhouses scheduled for next week, but Boone acknowledged they may need to sweep to even have a chance at the division crown. And even if that happens, it’s a “tall task,” he said. From the outside, the race feels done and dusted with a Wild Card Series rematch with Boston probably on deck.
New York Post | Charles Gasparino: The previously reported $2.6-billion financing deal between the Yankees and Apollo Global Management has more details out now. The Steinbrenners will give up a 16-percent stake in the most successful franchise in baseball and one of the biggest in professional sports (MLB rules do not seem to allow private equity to hold more than 15 percent, so this is puzzling if true and would have to involve loopholes in some way). According to the terms of the agreement, the firm will now hold the largest share in the Yankees after the Steinbrenner family.
