Yankees playoff roster decision could come down to the wire

The Yankees have until Friday, Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. to turn in their 25-man roster for the ALDS versus the Twins and will likely take all the time they have remaining before making any final decisions.

Just three days until the Yankees kick off their postseason march for World Series title No. 28, manager Aaron Boone still has decisions to be made when it comes to the make-up of the 25-man roster that will take on the Minnesota Twins.

Aside from assembling the absolute best mixture of players for the best 3-out-of-5 first round, Boone as usual, this season, must keep in mind the overall health of his ball club.

If a player were to become injured and need to be replaced on the playoff roster, he must be flipped like-for-like — meaning position player for position player or pitcher for pitcher. Simple enough.

However, the player being removed from the roster would then be ineligible to return for the next round of postseason madness. Therefore, losing a player in the ALDS that can’t play again until the World Series is a risky proposition.

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So after watching 30 different Yankees hit the injured list during the 2019 regular-season, why should anything be different during the postseason?

James Paxton, whom many believe will get the ball in Game 1 of the ALDS is reportedly feeling much better after experiencing tightness in his left glute on Friday against the Rangers. Paxton was pulled after just one inning as a precaution.

Although an MRI revealed nerve damage, medication and rest have Paxton on schedule to return to the starting rotation versus a potent Twins lineup.

Third baseman Gio Ursehla sprained his left ankle making another spectacular defensive play in Sunday’s season-finale. At this point, the swelling in Urshela’s ankle has subsided and he is expected to resume his hot corner duties come Friday. Whether or not that means his bat is ready to heat up is another story.

Perhaps the biggest question mark going into the first round is veteran slugger Edwin Encarnacion.

Still dealing with the effects of a left oblique strain sustained on Sept. 12, Encarnacion is scheduled to play in simulated games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Should The Parrot report no pain and is cleared to return, that will largely affect whether or not Mike Ford and the struggling Luke Voit are added to the 25-man roster.

While the Yanks could very well go with 12 pitchers, that only leaves four spots for an extra first baseman/DH, Cameron Maybin, Tyler Wade and Austin Romine. I’m counting Giancarlo Stanton in the starting nine — position notwithstanding.

Carrying 13 pitchers, such as C.C. Sabathia, Jordan Montgomery or Jonathan Loaisiga to act as long relief would further shorten the bench and only make Boone’s decision that much more difficult.