Yankees Injury Update: Giancarlo Stanton stunner, Carlos Lagrange tease, Trent Grisham

As a great man once said, "And they say that a hero could save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait." In the wake of the pronouncement that Aaron Judge's PPP injection will almost certainly keep him out of the Wild Card Series and beyond, it seems that Giancarlo Stanton was unable to stand idly by and wait for a different hero to arise. Instead, he wants to earn every nickel back of the remainder of his contract.

When videos of Stanton doing "agility drills" emerged on Tuesday, they were easily laughed off as a proud man's last vestige of competitive energy leaking out during a playoff push. No one thought he might be a possibility after the one final setback that threw him formally off course in August.

Conversely, Trent Grisham's activation has felt like a bit more of a formality; everyone knew he'd be an October option, even if he didn't appear in a single regular-season game to end the campaign.

And yet ... apparently, according to Aaron Boone, both men are in the same place? Both men are knocking on the same door? What a world.

Yankees eyeing Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham for playoff roster

If Stanton steps in, he'll be doing so as a bench option for the Yankees behind Luis Garcia Jr./Ben Rice, rather than as a starting DH against left-handed pitching (like Payton Tolle and Ranger Suárez). What could his timing possibly look like? It would feel unfathomably risky to toss him into the fire, but the Wild Card Series is short and requires fewer arms. Boone confirmed on Wednesday that he won't carry 13 pitchers and may not even carry 12. If that means a bench wild card takes the spot of a roster mainstay on the mound, and Stanton's ready ... why not Stanton?!

Grisham was mired in a significant slump prior to his re-injury (and may never have shaken hamstring troubles throughout the summer). His OPS+ plummeted under league-average, and his center field defense (mainly his jumps) left much to be desired. According to Boone, Stanton homered on Wednesday. No word on whether Grisham reciprocated.

And yeah, wait, somehow this got wilder? Imagine if the Yankees reduced their pitchers from 13 to 11, and also one of those pitchers was flamethrower Carlos Lagrange making his MLB debut? According to Boone, he's in the "stay ready phase" on the outskirts of the conversation.

Lagrange was clearly a part of the bullpen plan before his untimely shoulder injury a month before the trade deadline, and we doubted he'd have enough time on the mound to be considered for an elevated role of any kind. Apparently, that's not the case - he's at least on the periphery of the postseason mix, and would likely edge out names like Ryan Yarbrough, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers in that case.

Who knew Stanton's name wouldn't be the wildest one we'd hear this week?

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