Yankees Aaron Hicks says he’s ready to return; who’s odd man out?

The Verdict

From a depth perspective, it has to be Voit. The Yankees can ill afford to assume that Hicks will be at full strength with his entire repertoire of capabilities. If he’s limited in any way, they need Maybin on the roster. Wade can back up the infield positions, and Romine will back up Gary Sanchez.

With the current construction of the roster, Voit is more of a luxury than a necessity. Encarnacion played 57 games at first base in 2019 and fills the same role of DH/1B that Voit does. LeMahieu can cover third or second; Torres can cover shortstop and Wade can cover everything.

The Yankees have another day or so to gauge Hicks’ health and potential availability for the ALCS. If the $70 million man returns, the team will undoubtedly have an emotionally difficult decision to make.