New York Yankees announce 28-man roster for Wild Card Series

The New York Yankees set their roster for their series against the Cleveland Indians, but Miguel Andujar is noticeably absent.

The stage is set for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. The two teams faced each other in the American League Division Series in 2017, but the 2020 Wild Card Series will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

For one thing, the teams will have 28-man rosters for this three-game set. Here’s how the Yankees will look against the Indians.

New York Yankees 28-Man Roster

Infield:

Mike Ford
DJ LeMahieu
Gleyber Torres
Gio Urshela
Luke Voit

Catcher:

Kyle Higashioka
Erik Kratz
Gary Sanchez

Infield/Outfield:

Tyler Wade

Outfield:

Clint Frazier
Brett Gardner
Aaron Hicks
Aaron Judge
Giancarlo Stanton
Mike Tauchman

Pitchers:

Zack Britton
Luis Cessa
Aroldis Chapman
Gerrit Cole
Deivi Garcia
Chad Green
J.A. Happ
Jonathan Holder
Jonathan Loaisiga
Jordan Montgomery
Nick Nelson
Adam Ottavino
Masahiro Tanaka

The most notable absence from this 28-man roster is without a doubt Miguel Andujar. The Yankees are opting to go with an extra first baseman — Mike Ford — over Andujar. This is telling for a variety of reasons.

For one, it doesn’t look like the Yankees trust Andujar’s defense in any way, shape, or form. He hasn’t played enough games to be a candidate to start at DH so his only role would be as a pinch hitter. The 25-year-old is just 1-for-8 in his career as a pinch hitter.

Another reason for Ford’s inclusion over Andujar could be his lefty bat. The Yankees are very right-handed dominant in the lineup.

On its face, carrying three catchers looks odd, but it’s actually the norm for these 28-man rosters. Of the American League teams in the postseason, only the Oakland Athletics are carrying two catchers.