Yankees Announce Paul Goldschmidt Decision Before Rays Doubleheader

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 18: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees warms up on deck during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 18, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees are coming off two straight losses in Arizona to the Diamondbacks, a setback that left them a full six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East pennant race.

But the Yankees still have a chance to win the division and with it, the top seed in the AL and a bye out of the wild-card playoff round.

The Yankees and Rays open a four-game, head-to-head series with the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. With a four-game sweep, the Yankees would take the season series. They would then need to sweep the Baltimore Orioles while the Rays lose two of three to the Philadelphia Phillies, or win two of three from Baltimore while the Rays are swept, to finish tied or ahead.

Before Game 1 of the doubleheader, the Yankees announced a decision on how they will utilize veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Goldschmidt is out of the New York Yankees lineup for a third consecutive start, out of the lineup again because of a stark platoon split against right-handed pitching.

The pattern has held all September, and it likely has fans wondering about how much longer the 39-year-old holds even a part-time role with October two weeks away.

Boone’s Platoon Explains Goldschmidt Sit

Aaron Boone’s lineup card for Tuesday’s series opener against Tampa Bay leaves Goldschmidt out again, extending a run that traces back to Saturday. He started Friday against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez in Arizona and went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs, then sat both weekend games against right-handers Brandon Pfaadt and Corbin Burnes. That’s three benchings in the last three games against right-handed starters.

Why? Goldschmidt has produced an elite 1.006 OPS against lefties this season but an anemic .572 mark versus right-handers, a gap wide enough that Boone starts Ben Rice at DH and Luis García Jr. at first whenever a right-hander pitches. An The Athletic report on the lineup moves after Aaron Judge’s calf strain named Goldschmidt and Heliot Ramos as the bats Boone leans on against lefties, with García handling the right-handed side.

Nick Martinez, Tuesday’s Tampa Bay starter, has largely dominated Goldschmidt in his career. The former National League MVP is 2-for-10 with four walks and two strikeouts against Martinez, and he is 0-for-13 with four strikeouts in his last three meetings with the right-hander since 2024. Martinez enters at 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA this year, and beat the Yankees in the Bronx in May, giving Boone both the season splits and the head-to-head history pointing toward a Goldschmidt benching.

Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader against two more right-handed Rays starters gives Boone an easy excuse to sit the 39-year-old.

Goldschmidt’s Future in New York

Goldschmidt becomes a free agent again this winter, and the Yankees have made no public commitment either way. A cheap return as a lefty-masher and clubhouse mentor remains plausible given Rice’s grip on first base, and his credentials, a 2022 NL MVP award, seven All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves and five Silver Sluggers still make him a name teams will inquire about this winter.

First base belongs to Rice, who has grown into an everyday role with 39 home runs and 95 RBI this season, pushing Goldschmidt into a complementary, short-side platoon job. That role fits the final stretch of a one-year, $4 million contract that can grow by $500,000 at each of four plate-appearance thresholds, according to Spotrac, a modest deal compared with the $12.5 million he earned in his first Yankees season a year earlier.

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