With the switch-hitting Aaron Hicks expected to start in center field Tuesday night against Twins right-hander Ervin Santana in the AL wild-card game, Joe Girardi was mulling what to do in the DH spot.
Girardi said Monday he hadn’t decided on a lineup and sounded like what he will do at DH is the reason. Considering Jacoby Ellsbury finished the season a lot stronger than Chase Headley did, Ellsbury is believed to be the choice.
“There are a lot of things that are going into this,’’ Girardi said before the Yankees worked out at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “There are some tough decisions and those are the things that we have talked about for the last three or four days.’’
Girardi used Headley as the DH against Twins starter Ervin Santana on Sept. 18 and Headley went 1-for-3. Lifetime, Headley is 4-for-13 (.308) against Santana. Hicks, who was hurt, didn’t face Santana against whom he is 0-for-6 in his career. Ellsbury is 11-for-37 (.297) against Santana. Ellsbury went 1-for-2 and reached on catcher’s interference Sept. 18.
Neither Headley nor Ellsbury has much experience as the DH. Headley went 12-for-48 (.250) in 14 games this season. Ellsbury was the DH four times and went 2-for-11 (.182) with an RBI.
Ellsbury’s final 29 games (26 starts) in 2015 produced a .202 (23-for-114) average with a .245 on-base percentage and provided Girardi a reason not to start him against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel in the AL wild-card game. This season Ellsbury hit .337 (29-for-86) in the final 27 games (24 starts) with a .436 on-base percentage.
Headley’s solid season in which he batted .273 after a slow start finished on a downer. In the final nine games Headley batted .161 (5-for-31).
“I don’t know anything and if I did I wouldn’t tell you,’’ Headley said when asked about Girardi’s DH plans. “He will make the decision.’’
Adam Warren, who has worked one game since Sept. 1 due to lower back spasms, is part of Girardi’s 10-man pitching staff for the wild-card game.
“I was never on the DL,’’ said Warren, who spent two stints on the shelf this year and pitched an inning Sunday to show that he is healthy. “I feel fine now and that is all that counts.’’
Sonny Gray, who last started Thursday, will join Warren in the pen.
“I think so,’’ Gray said when asked if he was going to be on the roster. “I will be in the bullpen.’’
Of Gray’s 125 big league starts 123 of them have been as a starter. He came out of the bullpen twice in 2013 which was the right-hander’s rookie year.
Since Girardi is going to take 10 pitchers the group will likely include Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, Luis Severino, Chasen Shreve, Warren and Gray. Girardi said this past weekend that lefty Jaime Garcia could be an option for a long reliever.
Third base coach Joe Espada and reliever Shreve can be forgiven if their entire focus isn’t on the Twins and Tuesday night’s AL wild-card game.
Outside of a very brief voice mail from his mother in Puerto Rico, Espada hasn’t communicated with his parents who live in Dorado where Hurricane Maria hit.
“It’s been a tough two weeks. You are trying to focus and trying to concentrate on getting to the postseason but when your heart and soul is with your family in Puerto Rico it makes it tough,’’ Espada said.
Shreve, a native of Las Vegas, had friends at the Route 91 Harvest music festival Sunday evening when a gunman opened fire, killed 58 and injured more than 500.
One of Shreve’s friends was next to a person who was shot.
“Everyone I know is OK,’’ said Shreve, who has attended the event which is held about 30 minutes from his house. “It’s not the best timing for sure.’’
Asked if the Yankees will beef up security at Yankee Stadium after what happened in Las Vegas a spokesman said the team doesn’t comment on security practices.