Yankees’ Lineup Boosted as Grisham and Wells Make Comebacks

TORONTO — The New York Yankees saw a significant lift in their lineup Thursday as Trent Grisham and Austin Wells returned for their first game since experiencing injury scares. This bolstering of the roster came during the Yankees’ series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Grisham Returns with a Bang

Trent Grisham had been sidelined since Monday due to hamstring tightness, leading the team to initially fear a potential stint on the injured list. Fortunately, he bounced back quicker than expected.

• Boone’s Comments: "He feels good about it. The training staff feels good about it. Is it 100%? Maybe not. But feel good about that he’s good enough and sound enough to go,” said manager Aaron Boone before the Yankees’ 8-5 loss.

Grisham reclaimed the leadoff spot on Thursday and made a notable impact, going 1-for-3 with two walks and a game-tying solo home run in the third inning. His presence allowed Boone to reposition Cody Bellinger to right field and give Aaron Judge a much-needed DH day after spending several days on the field.

Grisham’s Season Performance

Despite a recent dip in performance, Grisham has been pivotal for the Yankees this season, boasting:

• Home Runs: 15
• On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .816 in 73 games

“It’s big to be able to avoid [the injured list]. He’s been so important to us on both sides of the ball," Boone commended. His robustness in center field and consistent quality at-bats have positioned him as an All-Star-caliber player.

Wells Back Behind the Plate

Austin Wells also made his return, starting at catcher for the first time since Saturday. He underwent testing earlier this week due to circulatory issues in his left pointer finger, which thankfully revealed only arterial damage.

• Wells’ Thursday Stats: 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.

His recovery adds depth to the Yankees’ catching rotation, allowing for a more dynamic lineup.

Roster Adjustments

Following Thursday’s game, the Yankees made adjustments to their roster:

• Clayton Beeter was optioned back to Triple-A after a difficult outing where he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings in relief of the injured Clarke Schmidt.

Infield Movements

DJ LeMahieu was absent from Thursday’s lineup, but Boone opted not to shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, keeping him at third while Oswald Peraza started at second. Boone implied that roster flexibility is key.

• “I don’t want to just move him back and forth and do that necessarily,” Boone explained.

Peraza was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh, with LeMahieu coming in to complete the game at second base.

Facing Juan Soto Again

The Yankees will be facing Juan Soto this weekend, who is coming off a stellar month, having earned National League Player of the Month honors in June.

• Boone on Soto: “He’s had a Juan-like month… it’ll be a challenge holding him down. It comes down to executing at a really high level.”

Roster Updates

In another move, the Yankees signed veteran infielder Nicky Lopez to a minor league contract, while losing Triple-A infielder CJ Alexander to the Dodgers via waivers.

The Yankees are looking to build on their recent roster changes as they move forward in their season. For continual updates on the Yankees and baseball analysis, consider following exciting coverage from sources like ESPN and MLB.com.