Montas add among Yanks' ALCS roster tweaks

HOUSTON -- The New York Yankees made respective changes arsenic they announced their 26-man roster for the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.

The No. 1-seeded Astros, connected the different hand, made lone 1 addition, with some teams going with an adjacent divided betwixt pitchers and presumption players with 13 apiece.

The Yankees chose to see 1 much pitcher for the best-of-seven ALCS, 1 little than they had for the Division Series against Cleveland, wherever they got past the Guardians successful 5 games.

Trade-deadline acquisition Frankie Montas, who has been connected the injured database since mid-September aft receiving a cortisone changeable to dainty close enarthrosis inflammation, was included connected the 13-man pitching staff. Montas did not transportation to expectations aft being acquired by the Yankees earlier the Aug. 2 commercialized deadline, going 1-3 with a 6.35 ERA successful 8 starts.

The Yankees are counting connected Montas' immense acquisition against the Astros, with the 29-year-old pitching the past six seasons with the Oakland Athletics. Montas is 8-5 with a 3.40 ERA successful 15 vocation games against Houston (13 starts), including a 3-2 grounds and 3.86 ERA successful six vocation games astatine Minute Maid Park.

The Yankees besides opted to permission retired long-man Lucas Luetge, who did not transportation successful the divisional circular against Cleveland contempt having been included successful the progressive roster. The nine went alternatively with rookie pitcher Greg Weissert, with chap rookie reliever Ron Marinaccio not medically cleared aft having to woody with a lingering shin injury.

Veteran inferior antheral Marwin Gonzalez, who lone saw constricted enactment successful the erstwhile round, was besides near disconnected the AL Championship Series roster, arsenic good arsenic versatile infielder DJ LeMahieu.

LeMahieu has not been capable to play successful immoderate postseason games owed to a close ft wounded that landed him connected the injured database backmost successful September. LeMahieu was hopeful that helium would beryllium capable to beryllium activated aft doing shot activities portion rehabbing and taking batting signifier the past fewer weeks, but the Yankees chose to spell with rookie Oswald Peraza arsenic a healthier reserve option.

The rookie Peraza, who plays astir infield positions but is simply a earthy shortstop, was a sparkplug for the Yankees arsenic they struggled down the stretch, hitting .306/.404/.429 implicit 18 games since making his MLB debut Sept. 2.

With Peraza connected the roster, it is apt that chap Venezuelan rookie Oswaldo Cabrera volition present mostly beryllium relegated to the outfield since the Yankees did not see an further subordinate to regenerate left-fielder Aaron Hicks. Hicks' play came to an extremity aft suffering a near genu wounded successful Game 5 of the Division Series against the Guardians aft a collision successful shallow left-field with Cabrera, who started Game 5 of the Division Series astatine Yankee Stadium astatine shortstop.

Pinch-running specializer Tim Locastro made the roster erstwhile again, and volition beryllium an enactment successful the outfield aft playing 26 games successful the outfield this regular season, mostly arsenic a antiaircraft replacement. Cabrera has besides played 37 games successful the outfield, including 3 this postseason.

And Matt Carpenter, who made the ALCS roster aft being activated for the ALDS aft being retired with a ft fracture since Aug. 8, volition besides beryllium an option, having had 15 outfield appearances for the Yankees. Carpenter, who has been constricted to a lefty bat disconnected the bench, has said that helium feels steadfast and that playing the outfield could beryllium an enactment for him.

The Astros mostly kept the aforesaid roster they utilized for the AL Division Series against Seattle, wherever they swept the Mariners successful 3 games. The lone alteration successful Dusty Baker's roster was the inclusion of 1 much pitcher for the longer bid -- Seth Martinez -- leaving retired outfielder Jake Myers.

The Astros volition look a right-handed dense lineup successful this bid against New York, and Martinez, who made his archetypal vocation postseason roster, finished the 2022 regular play with a 2.09 ERA and 38 strikeouts successful 28⅔ innings pitched, holding opponents to a .187 batting average, and right-handed hitters to a .135 BA.