Aaron Boone revealed early into camp that Trent Grisham would be behind due to a hamstring issue, but the Yankees are expecting to get their fourth outfielder back in the next week or so. Boone himself relayed the update after their loss to the Tigers, as the left-handed hitting centerfielder has a much more important role right now than most originally pegged him for entering the season.
With Giancarlo Stanton’s return to the team still up in the air, we could see more Trent Grisham as the team could rotate Aaron Judge and others at DH, giving them a more dynamic defensive outfield to offset the loss of a big power bat. If all goes well over the next week, Grisham could be a nice insurance option in the scenario in which Giancarlo Stanton is out for an extended period of time with his double-elbow problem.
Trent Grisham’s Impending Return Provides Key Insurance to Yankees
The Yankees have some uncertainty on their roster without Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham could be part of the solution to those question marks. While his 91 wRC+ and .290 OBP are uninspiring, his +2 OAA and +3 FRV in 485.1 innings out in centerfield are certainly valuable, especially since the Yankees can move Cody Bellinger to LF and Jasson Dominguez to RF when needed.
Aaron Judge could get some DH days, allowing his body to rest more after the longest season of his career in 2025, and that would only further supercharge a defense that could be one of the best in baseball. Aaron Boone mentioned at the start of camp that Grisham would get some work in LF as well, so it is possible that the Yankees slide him there to see how he looks in a corner outfield spot.
What the Yankees would also be getting here is a hitter capable of launching a ball out of the yard, with nine home runs in 76 games last season.
READ MORE: Yankees’ prospect continues bearing resemblance to this excellent pitcher
Further leaning into their defensive abilities as a team would allow them to offset the value they’re losing in Giancarlo Stanton, who is inherently limited as a DH who can barely run. Grisham would allow the Yankees to put one of Dominguez or Judge at DH and the other in RF, which would keep their outfield defense sharp while Stanton rehabilitates his elbow issue.
Trent Grisham is also not enough of a black hole on offense to sink the lineup as their eight or nine hitter, and they could get some more baserunning value from him. Even last season, he posted a 0.5 fWAR in 209 PAs, which makes him roughly a league-average everyday starter over the course of a full season. An elite defensive outfielder at a premium position, his bat being close to league average would result in a 2-3 WAR outcome.
Dominic Smith and Ben Rice could also take over at DH, as the two of them are battling it out for reps at the moment in Stanton’s absence.