AL DIVISION SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 11, 2022

Aaron Boone

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Aaron, can you walk us through the decision-making process with DJ and not including him in the ALDS roster?

AARON BOONE: I just wanted to see him take live at-bats yesterday. And just watching him, I just know he's compromised. So I brought him in, and, you know, he wanted to give it a go and was willing to give it a go, and just like, I feel like I can give you an at-bat off the bench and give you a routine play.

But just watching him, he is really compromised and I just felt like it wasn't the responsible thing to do. I appreciate all that he's been through and all that he's been to do to try to make it work. We're leaving the door open as far as moving forward, hopefully, if we get deeper in the playoffs. But right now I just felt like he was compromised too much.

Q. It's been a couple years since you've had a postseason game here. What's the difference in the last couple years with the crowd?

AARON BOONE: I feel like our crowd has been awesome this year. And especially with the way we started out the season and some of the walk-off wins we've had, and obviously the season Aaron's had, that we've had some of those magical, regular-season games and environments, I feel like.

That said, you know, the postseason here, I've heard people say it's a different animal. It is. It's something to behold and experience. And hopefully we can go out and perform the way we're capable of and give them lots of reason to be excited.

Q. There was a report that DJ had a broken foot. Is that accurate, and if, so how much of that will compromise his ability to be in the ALCS?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, it potentially does compromise. I don't know exactly honestly what the diagnosis is. I know that second toe underneath is the issue, and can't really fire on his back side like DJ when he gets through, and that's why he's compromised.

So, you know, I talked with our beat writers about it; I actually don't even know the diagnosis. I just know what he's been dealing with and the things he's done to try to give him some relief. Just has not been able to quite get there.

Q. And Scott Effross, how much of a loss is that, Tommy John surgery?

AARON BOONE: It's a huge loss. Feel terrible for him. He's kind of heartbroken over it. It's a blow. I mean, Scotty came over here and pitched really well. You know, I think he was going to have a really big role for us in our bullpen, but now we've just got to kind of support him and get him right. And hopefully everything goes well there. Somebody else, you know, has to pick up that slack.

Q. With rain in the forecast on Thursday, is there anything you do to change -- if you need him later in the series?

AARON BOONE: No, it won't change anything tonight or -- no, won't change anything. You know, I'd use him potentially in a number of different roles tonight: length, short, whatever. No, it won't change that.

Q. Matt Carpenter has been activated for the series. How do you envision using him?

AARON BOONE: He looks really good. You know, he's had a number of live at-bats, really, for the last week or ten days now. And he looks really good, and feels really good, especially at the plate. And even these last couple days, has continued to move around better.

So, you know, if I needed to, could probably, if we got a situation, put him in the field if I had to. But right now I see him as that big bat off the bench.

Q. The Guardians don't strike out a heck of a lot. In your experience, what tends to happen when you have a staff that does generate a lot of strikeouts against a lineup that is more contact-hitting, anyway? Which prevails?

AARON BOONE: Hopefully the strikeout (laughter).

Q. How does that usually play itself out in your mind?

AARON BOONE: I mean, that's why we're playing. We're going to find out. I mean, it still comes down to execution. You know, hitting is a game of taking advantage of when you get a pitch to do something with; and pitching is execution. So whether that turns into weak contact, strikeouts, whatever it may be, it's a game of execution.

Sports is about executing. If you do that at a high level, you give yourself a chance to be successful. I don't know how that's going to play out. We'll see.

Q. In years past, you've had very deep bullpens and you've been able to find your lanes for guys, and in the regular season and even in your past playoffs. Do you think it's possible to extend those lanes and go multi-innings with some of your guys in the bullpen?

AARON BOONE: Yeah, I do feel like a number of our guys are prepared and capable of going one-plus, two innings, and will have to.

You know, we don't have necessarily the traditional roles right now. But that said, we've got a lot of really good pitchers down there and a lot of really talented options that I'm going to be able to go to. And it's an opportunity in the biggest month of the year for guys to really step up and shine and really even establish themselves even more.

Excited that Wandy looks the way he does and is back in the mix. Clay Holmes looks really good and feels really good. So we have -- even though it's not ideal and traditional necessarily, I feel like when I go to the pen, I'm bringing in a really good pitcher.

Q. You had Holmes -- he threw again yesterday?

AARON BOONE: He actually ended up just throwing a bullpen. We were going to have him potentially throw live but that would have compromised him for today. But it's gone really well here the last four or five days as far as his bullpens, his sides, his throwing program that we all kind of, him included, like, no, I'm ready for tomorrow.

Q. What were you trying to see yesterday?

AARON BOONE: Just to get him out there on the mound to get a live in from a timeline standpoint. But his sides have been so good and he's bouncing back well. And when he warmed up in the bullpen yesterday, he was just really sharp. It was like, let's not even mess around with a live today. Let's just go.

Q. Is Taillon a pitcher that can get ready more in a hurry in this role or do you have to be more deliberate with preplanning what lane he would --

AARON BOONE: Yeah, that's something I've talked to him about. He feels like he can get ready like a normal reliever. He'll prepare himself all game long with putting himself in position to stay ready.

I don't think it's going to be something that will take too much time. I will be mindful of it, and in a perfect world, give him a clean inning and those kind of things. But he should be good in treating him as a regular reliever.

Q. Can you explain the process of learning that Effross would need the surgery? Because he pitched recently. Definitely something in the elbow in Texas?

AARON BOONE: Yes. He felt something after his outing against the Orioles, the day after. And then we pitched him in Texas and he felt good, sharp. And then in his live BP on -- Friday, I think he threw for us -- he didn't recover the next day, and this was some concern there.

So we had the MRI, and sure enough. Yeah, we found out over the weekend.

Q. I guess it would be hard to imagine Judge's season being elevated any more than it already has been, but if he ends up being a main contributor to a team that wins it all, do you think that takes his season to an even higher place historically?

AARON BOONE: Sure.

Q. How so?

AARON BOONE: I mean, I think one of the all-time great regular seasons, if he runs through a postseason to a championship and continues what he's done in the regular season, yeah. I mean, this is the most important month of the year in our sport. And you do it on this stage, and what he's coming off of, that has to elevate it.

Q. What did you like and not like about the five-day layoff?

AARON BOONE: I like the fact that we were able to give a lot of our guys rest and get them off their feet quite a bit. I also like that they were able to get a lot of live reps. So all of our guys to varying degrees got a good amount of live at-bats, whether it was against our pitchers or whether it was against the Minor League pitchers. I feel like we were able to stay as sharp as possible while also getting some rest.

What you don't like is obviously in an everyday sport, just the unknown of being off five days. But you know, sign me up for that. That means we got to skip a series or, you know, if you told me, you have to take three weeks off but you're in the World Series, you'd sign up for that, too, and try and make it work.

Q. Do you feel like you were able to create real-game situations?

AARON BOONE: Yes. We obviously did a lot of, you know, PFP stuff. You know, different situational defensive stuff, while also, you know, as important as anything is getting live looks for both our pitchers and our hitters.

Q. What's the story with Chapman? Is he done or could you go back and use him in a series in the future here?

AARON BOONE: We'll see. I mean, for now, he's staying away and I know he's throwing down in Miami. But for now, he's away.