The New York Yankees are not trotting out the lineup they anticipated, but they believe those who are available to play are capable of producing.
Manager Aaron Boone hopes to see some positive results from his makeshift lineup Wednesday afternoon when the Yankees host the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
The teams have traded 3-1 decisions in the first two games played under frigid conditions, with a game-time temperature of 45 each night. After Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered in a win on Monday, the Yankees dropped to 2-3 with a loss on Tuesday.
Tuesday was the second game New York played without Giancarlo Stanton (strained left biceps) and Miguel Andujar (torn labrum in right shoulder), who landed on the injured list Monday. They became the eighth and ninth players to land on the IL, joining a list that already includes Didi Gregorius (right elbow) and Aaron Hicks (back).
Without four regulars, the Yankees are off to a slow start at the plate. After getting six hits Tuesday, they are hitting .242 and have scored 19 runs.
“We think we’re capable still, and we expect to go out and do damage tomorrow,” Boone said. “The guys we have in there are certainly capable of scoring runs. We just got to continue to grind away and find a way right now.”
It is a sentiment stated by Boone after his team’s lone run came via a second-inning sacrifice fly by Clint Frazier, who was called up Monday to replace Stanton. It is a feeling that Aaron Judge shares.
“Of course,” Judge said. “Without a doubt. We just got to string together some quality at-bats. We have been swinging at some stuff out of the zone and not sticking to our plan the last couple of games. I think once we start stringing together quality at-bats one through nine, we’re going to be in a good position.”
The Yankees nearly added another injured player when Luke Voit was hit on the hand in the eighth inning by Joe Jimenez. Voit stayed in the game and is expected to be available Wednesday.
The Tigers have split their first six games despite not scoring more than four runs in any game. The Tigers are in a position to win the series after Dustin Peterson hit a tiebreaking RBI double off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning.
“We did what we had to do to win, and it was a nice win,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Detroit heads into its seventh game with a .169 team average and a .261 on-base percentage. The Tigers have gone five straight games without a homer since Christin Stewart’s homer in Thursday’s opener, their longest such streak since 2015.
Detroit also owns a 2.33 ERA after Jordan Zimmermann held the Yankees to one run in 6 2/3 innings, and hopes to keep it going when Matthew Boyd makes his second start of the season.
Boyd made his season debut Friday in Detroit when he allowed four runs (three earned) and five hits with 10 strikeouts over five innings.
“I felt good the whole time,” Boyd told reporters in Toronto. “I made a few mistakes in the fourth trying to overthrow a little bit.”
Boyd is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three career starts against the Yankees.
Jonathan Loaisiga will make his fifth career start in the majors and 10th career appearance for the Yankees.
Loaisiga debuted in June and went 2-0 with a 5.11 ERA a 1.54 WHIP last season.
During spring training, the 24-year-old right-hander was 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA in six appearances (five starts).
“He’s built up to (the point) if he pitches well, he’s got a chance to hopefully get us through the middle innings,” Boone said.