June 16, 2025
ANALYSISThe Yankees haven't indicated that Goldschmidt is dealing with a physical issue, but the 37-year-old will hit the bench for the second day in a row against a right-handed starting pitcher (
Jose Soriano). Manager Aaron Boone will likely elaborate further on the lineup when he speaks to the media Monday, but
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic speculates that the return of
Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) from the 60-day injured list could result in the Yankees opting for a quasi-platoon at first base. With Stanton expected to get the majority of the at-bats at designated hitter moving forward, the right-handed-hitting Goldschmidt could give way at first base more frequently to the left-handed-hitting
Ben Rice when the Yankees face righties. Goldschmidt owns a 91 wRC+ versus righties for the season, while Rice has posted a 132 wRC+ in those matchups.