Yankees shifting Paul Goldschmidt injury timeline lines up with Dom Smith decision

UPDATE: Smith has opted out of his contract with the Yankees. Congratulations if you read this article before that news dropped. Consider it a rare treasure.

If this is your first day on the Planet Earth, perhaps you're surprised by the New York Yankees providing an optimistic injury recovery timeline for Paul Goldschmidt, only for the player not to fulfill it.

Last week, when Goldschmidt cautiously exited an exhibition game early with back soreness, he claimed to be entirely unconcerned about his Opening Day availability, and planned to return this Thursday or Friday.

Naturally, Friday's lineup dropped this morning, and Goldschmidt isn't in it. When pressed for comment, he sounded just as optimistic as before, offering to play Saturday and calling himself "close to 100%" in the meantime. Color us pessimistic, with less than a week to go until the curtain rises. This doesn't sound like the end of the world, but it's worth noting the Yankees have already punted on their initial plan.

Of course, perhaps the more notable detail in Friday's lineup (if we choose to believe Goldschmidt's nonchalance) is the man penciled in at DH: Dominic Smith, whom the Yankees will get one more look at before they have to make an opt-out decision on his roster status.

According to Andy Martino, Smith can trigger a 24-hour warning Friday night if the Yankees have yet to add him to their 40-man roster. He remains a top DH/bench candidate, alongside Ben Rice and Pablo Reyes, though he may have fallen behind both options in recent days.

Yankees must place Dominic Smith on 40-man roster tonight, or he'll opt out of contract

If you're feeling optimistic about Goldschmidt's status, it's notable that Smith isn't playing first base, in what amounts to his final roster showcase.

The Yankees can create a 40-man roster spot by moving Gerrit Cole to the 60-Day IL, but they'll likely do so in order to accommodate likely fifth starter Carlos Carrasco, who also has a looming opt-out clause. Instead, expect the Yankees to remove infielder Braden Shewmake if they intend to add Smith, who has only nine at-bats this spring, and hasn't been seriously considered as a potential contributor.

Ironically (in not a fun way!), Goldschmidt's former Cardinals teammate Nolan Arenado's back problems have left us skittish about acquiring him all winter long. Very frustrating for the sturdy Goldschmidt — who dominated this spring, hitting a resurgent .313 with a 1.077 OPS — to suddenly be afflicted by similar pains. Classic Yankees, though.