Yankees: Four players we could see when rosters expand in September

With September right around the corner, that means it’s almost that time for major league rosters to expand to a 40 player max. You can bet the Yankees will use the rule to their advantage and continue to showcase their incredible depth by calling up a handful of players who can make it an impact down the stretch.

This will be the last year the Yankees and the rest of both leagues can carry up to 40 players on their active rosters in September because next season they’ll all be required to carry 28 players.

It’s a welcome rule change because it never made much sense that teams could call up 15 more players in the most important month of the regular season after only carrying 25 for the previous five months. The rule was also made to improve the pace of play and reduce the unbearable number of pitching changes we usually see during every game in September.

This year it will be very interesting to see who the Yankees add to their roster because there are definitely some guys who can help them try to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Some are players who are at Triple-A Scranton and some are guys who have been on the IL all season who are either currently on a rehab assignment or are about to go on one very soon.

Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, and Giancarlo Stanton are the three biggest names we could see back in September but this list won’t feature them because it’s obvious we’ll see them if they’re healthy. The same goes for Kyle Higashioka who is certainly going to be called up because every team carries at least three catchers once they’re allowed to expand rosters. Now onto the list:

Ryan McBroom 1B

The 27-year-old first baseman has done nothing but hit since joining the Yankees organization back in July of 2017. McBroom is in the midst of a career year with Scranton hitting .321 with 21 HR, 56 RBI, and a .968 OPS. Earlier this season he was passed over for a big-league call-up and a spot on the 40-man roster by teammate Mike Ford, but he could finally get his opportunity in the coming weeks.

Edwin Encarnacion and Luke Voit are expected to return in September but that’s still no guarantee so McBroom could become an option if Ford continues to struggle offensively. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster which is a bit of an issue, but his numbers at Triple-A are legit and if the Yankees think he can help them during the final month they’ll find a spot for him on the roster.

Clint Frazier OF

If Clint Frazier isn’t called up at some point in September you have to wonder if we’ll ever see him in a Yankee uniform again. He’s been stuck at Triple-A since June 16th despite hitting .284 with 11 HR and 34 RBI in 53 games with the club earlier this season. He was sent down following the acquisition of Encarnacion to make room for him on the roster and to work on his defense.

Now that the trade deadline has come and gone there’s really no reason not to call up Frazier in September even though his at-bats with the big league club would probably be limited. If Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Hicks don’t make it back as expected Frazier will still be behind Mike Tacuhman and Cameron Maybin on the depth chart but that shouldn’t stop them from calling him up.

With uncertainty surrounding the return timetables of Stanton and Hicks and the timetable of Encarnacion, it’s not a bad thing to have Frazier’s bat on the roster as a potential DH option.

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Jordan Montgomery

Montgomery has been out since last May after undergoing Tommy John surgery but he’s reportedly close to beginning a rehab assignment. He threw a two-inning 35-pitch sim game last week in Tampa according to Randy Miller of NJ.com and could become an option for the Yanks at some point in September.

The 26-year-old southpaw’s future with the club is still as a starter but he doesn’t have enough time to rehab his way back to the rotation this season. The best way he could help the team down the stretch is by pitching out of the bullpen in long relief or as a lefty specialist.

Deivi Garcia

Last but not least is the Yankees top prospect Deivi Garcia who was promoted to Triple-A right out of the All-Star break. Ever since he got promoted to Scranton fans have been waiting for the 20-year-old to get the call to the Bronx and there’s a good chance his day could come in September.

In  103.2 minor league innings, this season Garcia has a 4.08 ERA and an astounding 154 strikeouts. He’s gotten off to a slow start with the Railriders pitching to a 5.01 ERA in 32.1 IP but he’s had three good outings in a row including his most recent on Saturday. He came on in relief for the first time this season and went five hitless innings, striking out seven. If the Yankees ended up promoting him in September for his big league debut he would pitch out of the pen according to GM Brian Cashman so they’re trying to get him accustomed to doing so.

Garcia is clearly on the fast track to the big leagues after starting the season at High-A ball and with his electric stuff he could prove to be a serious weapon out of the bullpen in September and potentially in October. As he continues to progress at Triple-A it’s not a matter of if we’ll see him make his big league debut this season, but when.