Aaron Boone plays coy about Yankees’ potential wild-card Game 3 starter

The Yankees are keeping their options open for their postseason pitching plans. 

Which means divulging little. 

Manager Aaron Boone did not reveal much about what the team would do for a potential Game 3 of the wild-card round and who would follow Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. 

The front-runners are Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil while Will Warren is at least in the conversation. Boone said that there likely would not be a tandem scenario in which two would split up six or seven innings. 

“[They are] kind of similar in how they match up, so they’re not necessarily the best pair for one another,” Boone said of the three righties, with Schlittler and Gil’s high-powered stuff especially alike. 

It is possible that the rotation leftovers could be used in relief, but Boone was noncommittal. 

Can he envision a scenario in which Schlittler, Gil and Warren are all carried on a wild-card roster? 

“I don’t know,” Boone said before Wednesday’s 8-1 win over the White Sox in The Bronx. 

Boone said he didn’t know how many pitchers the team would carry. The 28-man roster needs to be culled to 26, and teams cannot carry more than 13 pitchers. 

The biggest choice remains whether the rookie Schlittler or Gil would start a do-or-die Game 3 (in a round the Yankees are hoping to avoid if they can catch the Blue Jays). 

Gil pitched to solid results Tuesday, when he let up two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings, but struck out three, missed few bats and lost several ticks on his fastball. 

Boone said the velocity dip was nothing physical and a result of Gil dialing back to ensure he could throw strikes. 

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Trent Grisham smacked his career-high 34th home run in the eighth. He has hit four homers over his past seven games. 

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Devin Williams and Paul Blackburn each threw a scoreless inning. Yankees relievers have not allowed a run in their past 12 ²/₃ ⅔ innings and own a 0.44 ERA in their past seven games. 

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Ben Rice made several nice picks at first base Tuesday, including a nice scoop that completed a strong play from Ryan McMahon. 

Boone said Rice’s scoops looked “routine” to him, which is encouraging. 

“It’s something he’s worked hard at, and certainly room to continue to improve there,,” Boone said of Rice, who caught Wednesday and is trying to prove himself at a few defensive positions. 

“It’s something he’s worked hard at, and certainly room to continue to improve there,” Boone said of Rice, who caught Wednesday and is trying to prove himself at a few defensive positions. 

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Rodón was honored on the field before the game as the team’s nominee for the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” 

The Carlos Rodón Foundation supports couples facing infertility and pregnancy loss by providing financial assistance and resources to afford IVF.