PHOENIX — The Yankees’ huge $$22.025 million winter gamble on Trent Grisham is at crossroads with October decisions looming.
The Yankees left Chase Field on Sunday with another October puzzle added to an already crowded board. Their 8-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks included a 4-1 lead, three third-inning home runs and another reminder that the lineup has changed quickly while several veterans have been unavailable.
Spencer Jones supplied the loudest swing, crushing a 448-foot homer after returning from a sore left heel. Heliot Ramos and George Lombard Jr. also went deep. The Yankees could not hold the advantage, but the younger outfielders again showed why Aaron Boone has more viable lineup combinations than he did only a few weeks ago.
New York fell to 89-66, six games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East with seven games remaining. The Yankees have already clinched a postseason berth. That shifts part of the final-week priority from simply winning games to protecting the 26-man roster they may need for a Wild Card Series.
Aaron Judge is on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain. Jazz Chisholm Jr. could return from a sprained right thumb as early as Tuesday. Jones has pushed deeper into the outfield picture, while Ramos has supplied another option. Each returning player now creates a second question: who leaves?
The $22.025 million bet looks different now
The most expensive uncertainty belongs to Grisham. The Yankees committed $22.025 million to him for 2026 after he accepted a qualifying offer following a career year. Grisham hit 34 homers with 74 RBIs and an .812 OPS in 2025, numbers that made the one-year commitment look defensible even at a premium salary.
This season has moved in the opposite direction. Grisham has 18 homers and a .211 average with a .703 OPS in 121 games. He also has suffered two right hamstring strains, the first in June and the second on Sept. 4. That latest injury has kept him out since Sept. 5 and may have quietly changed his Yankees role.
The contrast with 2025 is sharp. Grisham’s OPS has dropped 109 points, and his home-run total has fallen from 34 to 18. His first hamstring strain sent him to the injured list June 13. He returned July 3 before reinjuring the same hamstring in a different spot in September.
The timing matters beyond October. Grisham is due to reach free agency after the season. If the Yankees keep him inactive through Game 162, Sept. 4 could stand as his final regular-season game in pinstripes even if he returns for the postseason.
That would create an unusual finish to a $22.025 million contract year: a veteran potentially moving directly from a three-plus-week absence into playoff baseball while a rookie has taken over his position.
Jones has changed the center-field calculation
Grisham also no longer has an uncontested starting job waiting for him. Spencer Jones has taken over his spot.
Jones has handled much of the center-field work and produced a strong September. Baseball Savant has him at .279/.343/.475 with three homers through Sunday, an .818 OPS. That September mark is 115 points higher than Grisham’s season OPS.
Jones still strikes out frequently, and the Yankees can mix matchups. But his emergence creates choices. Grisham could start against a right-hander, serve as a left-handed pinch-hitter or become a late-game defensive option instead of automatically returning to everyday center field.
Judge’s injury does not erase that dilemma. Ramos can play right, Jones can move between center and right, and the Yankees can build different combinations without guaranteeing Grisham a fixed role.
A return carries a hidden roster cost
The Yankees are unlikely to activate Grisham before the regular season ends, even if he becomes physically ready. The complication is roster construction.
Activating him would require New York to clear an active-roster spot. Under MLB rules, an optioned position player generally must remain in the minors for 10 days before being recalled, absent an exception. A late move could therefore make a useful player unavailable for the Wild Card Series and possibly beyond.
That is why Grisham getting healthy does not automatically make an immediate activation the best move. One opening is already expected to be needed for Chisholm. Creating another could force the Yankees to sacrifice postseason flexibility for only a few regular-season games.
Boone acknowledged the unusual timing before Sunday’s game.
“I know he’s trending to be close, but the activation might be a little complicated,” Boone said.
Grisham still has physical checkpoints to complete, although Boone said the outfielder has progressed deep into his recovery work.
“He’s been doing quite a bit. He’s pretty deep into his running progression, hitting and doing baseball activities. So he’s getting pretty close,” Boone said.
Waiting could preserve October depth
Keeping Grisham on the injured list through the final week would allow the Yankees to avoid an unnecessary regular-season roster subtraction. They could then reset to a 26-man postseason roster and decide whether his left-handed bat, defense and experience justify a place after the long layoff.
For now, Grisham is running, hitting and moving closer to clearance. The Yankees return home Tuesday for a four-game series against Tampa Bay, but his next major league plate appearance may not come until the season is already on the line.
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