The New York Yankees finally announced their roster for the American League Division Series showdown against the Cleveland Guardians.
The announcement came with several surprises.
We already knew that Aroldis Chapman wouldn’t be on the roster for disciplinary reasons, but unexpected injury setbacks really affected manager Aaron Boone‘s decisions.
Three crucial players are absent from the roster: two are hurt, and the other was Boone’s decision.
“DJ LeMahieu, Scott Effross and Oswald Peraza are not on the #Yankees’ ALDS roster,” MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch tweeted.
DJ LeMahieu, Scott Effross and Oswald Peraza are not on the #Yankees’ ALDS roster.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) October 11, 2022
LeMahieu has been dealing with a right toe injury for weeks, and even though he returned near the end of the season, he is clearly not 100 percent.
In fact, there are rumblings about LeMahieu needing offseason surgery.
The Yankees, for now, aren’t ruling him out for the rest of the postseason should the Yankees keep advancing, but it’s hard to envision him playing again in 2022.
Effross Has Been Lost For The Season
Effross represents yet another blow to a battered bullpen: he recently injured his right elbow and tests determined he will need Tommy John surgery, which would sideline him until 2024.
Peraza’s absence was a manager’s decision, and a very puzzling one at that.
He displayed very good defense and had a .833 OPS in limited action in MLB, not to mention 19 home runs in Triple-A.
He is perhaps the Yankees’ best shortstop, but the team has remained very loyal to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Marwin Gonzalez.
The team did include fellow rookie sensation Oswaldo Cabrera and veteran slugger Matt Carpenter.
Miguel Castro, who recently returned from an injury of his own, is replacing Effross on the roster.
Injuries keep decimating the Yankees’ roster ahead of their playoff debut.
NEXT: The Yankees Are Getting A Key Bullpen Piece Back