Frankie Montas Unlikely for Yankees Postseason Rotation

With Andrew Benintendi still working his way back from a broken hamate bone in his hand, the Yankees’ preferred left fielder appears to be the rookie Oswaldo Cabrera. And if Matt Carpenter is able to return from a broken foot, that would limit Hicks’s opportunities even further.

And then there is the Yankees’ bullpen, which has plenty of talented arms but no clear-cut closer. The prospect of Aroldis Chapman, the team’s longtime finisher, getting a postseason roster spot has been a topic of conversation after The New York Post reported the organization had considered designating the left-handed reliever for assignment.

Chapman, an impending free agent, has been unreliable, recording a 4.36 E.R.A. over 33 innings. He lost his closing job to Clay Holmes earlier this season, though Holmes, an All-Star, has since had his own rough stretches. The fluidity has led to the Yankees using 11 different relievers to record saves this season.

On Sunday, Boone was asked, point blank, if he could trust Chapman in high-leverage situations.

“Well, we’ll see,” Boone said. “Right now, I’m using him more in low- and medium-leverage situations.

“Physically, I feel like it’s still there. The stuff is there. He’s shown flashes of it throughout the season and even in the second half of the season. So we’ve got to continue to make the most out of every opportunity, and then we’ll make that call.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/27/sports/baseball/frankie-montas-yankees.html