TAMPA, Fla. — The 2026 World Baseball Classic delivered thrilling baseball for fans around the globe. For the Yankees, though, it also created an awkward problem they did not anticipate. Amed Rosario spent the better part of three weeks away from Grapefruit League camp with the Dominican Republic. He returned to Tampa with almost nothing to show for it on the field.
Rosario logged just one plate appearance during the entire tournament. The stacked Dominican lineup, loaded with the likes of Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Julio Rodriguez, simply did not have room for him. That left Rosario watching from the bench while his Yankees teammates were getting regular reps at Steinbrenner Field.
The role the Yankees envisioned
The Yankees re-signed Rosario in December on a one-year, $2.5 million deal for a specific reason. He was brought back to serve as a versatile bench piece who could punish left-handed pitching. That was the same role he filled effectively after arriving from Washington at the 2025 trade deadline.
In 16 games with the Bronx Bombers last season, Rosario batted .303 with a .485 slugging percentage, one home run and five RBI. Over his full 2025 campaign between the Nationals and Yankees, he slashed .276/.309/.436 with six home runs and 23 RBI in 191 plate appearances. Against left-handers specifically, he posted an .819 OPS, more than 200 points higher than his mark against righties.
With left-handed hitters Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. penciled in at third base and second base, respectively, Rosario was expected to slot in on the weak side of a platoon. The Yankees also explored having him take reps at first base during the offseason to expand his defensive versatility even further.
A spring training gap that nobody planned for
Before leaving for the Dominican Republic, Rosario had looked solid in early Grapefruit League action. In 11 plate appearances, he was hitting .300 with a .600 slugging percentage and a home run. He was scratched from a start against the Blue Jays in late February to travel and join his national team.
What happened next is where the problem lies. The Dominican Republic’s roster was loaded with All-Star caliber talent at nearly every position. Rosario was a veteran presence and an emergency option with positional flexibility, but the team never truly needed him. He sat. And sat. One plate appearance across several weeks of tournament play is not the kind of preparation the Yankees had in mind.
The Dominican Republic advanced out of Pool D in Miami, beat Korea in a 10-0 run-rule victory and reached the semifinals before falling to Team USA, captained by Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, in a tightly contested 2-1 game. Through all of that action, Rosario remained a spectator for the most part.
A compressed timeline to get ready
The Yankees now face a simple but tricky question. How do they get Rosario up to speed with Opening Day less than two weeks away? Spring training games are running out. The club is expected to give him heavy playing time down the stretch of the Grapefruit League schedule to let him see live pitching and find his timing.
The Yankees need Rosario sharp from the jump. Jose Caballero projects as the Opening Day shortstop, and the front office is weighing whether to use McMahon as a backup option there as well. That kind of flexibility would allow the Yankees to carry a bench of J.C. Escarra, Paul Goldschmidt, Randal Grichuk and Rosario. But for that plan to work, Rosario has to prove in the next seven to 10 days that the layoff did not dull his bat.
There is also competition for the Yankees bench. Grichuk profiles in a similar role as a right-handed option against left-handed pitching. If Rosario stumbles in the closing days of camp, the Yankees may need to rethink how they allocate bench spots. With Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones and other young position players pushing for roster consideration at the big league level, the margin for error is thin.
What to expect in the final days of camp
The Yankees have been clear all spring that they value Rosario’s bat against left-handers and his ability to play multiple infield positions. None of that has changed. But the WBC absence was not part of the plan, and neither was the fact that he barely played during it.
Expect Rosario to be in the lineup daily for the remainder of Grapefruit League play. The Yankees coaching staff will want to see him stack quality at-bats and sharpen his defensive timing before camp breaks. The 30-year-old has the track record to suggest he can ramp up quickly. He has played for seven different organizations and knows how to stay ready.
Still, an unusual spring has left the Yankees in a position they did not expect. Rosario was supposed to arrive at Opening Day battle-tested and locked in. Instead, the Yankees will watch him try to play catch-up while the rest of the roster has had a full camp to prepare.
What do you think?
He should have left after the first round like Skubal did for the USA.