Edwin Encarnacion is confident that he'll make his return to the Yankees' lineup during the team's American League Division Series against the Twins.
The Yankees' slugger has been sidelined with an strained left oblique injury, but spent the past few days progressing towards a return by participating in a few simulated games. He hasn't suited up in pinstripes since Sept. 12, as there wasn't necessarily a rush for him to return to the lineup. Yankees' manager Aaron Boone joined Mike Francesa on "Mike's On" to describe how lethal the Yankees' lineup could be when Encarnacion returns to full health.
"All things considered the fact that Edwin is good to go and cleared those final hurdles is obviously a good thing," Boone told Francesa. "Because he's just a wrecking machine in the middle when he's right and a game changer."
Boone still has some concern about Encarnacion as the team begins its postseason quest. He pointed out that Encarnacion stands out among the rest of his every day players that he's monitoring.
"Feel pretty good about where he's at right now," Boone said. "I felt like his sim game work, where he got live at-bats and really let it go on Tuesday and Wednesday were really good signs. I feel like he's a lot more confident in the injury and the ability to completely let it go. I think Tuesday was a big breakthrough for him. He got some at-bats, he swung and missed really letting it go and that's what I think he was a little bit concerned with. How would he respond to a swing and a miss and how would he respond the next day? He came out of it fine. He's feeling really good about where he is. But any time you're dealing with an oblique injury and you're at the end of the line of rehab, you're still in that area where it has to be a concern."
Giancarlo Stanton returned to the Yankees' lineup on Sept. 18 and has yet to show any ill effects of the PCL strain that kept him from the field for three months. He's tallied eight RBIs in nine games and Boone has been overwhelmed with Stanton's rapid progression over the past several weeks.
"I think with Giancarlo, it's gone as well as we have could've hoped," Boone said. "When we're sitting there six-eight weeks ago and looking at a timeline and wondering if he'd make it back. The fact that he got back and was able to play kind of the last 10 games of the season and really perform, I felt like had quality at-bats, is moving better than I anticipated. Of course (Luis Severino) coming back and looking the part and building momentum has been huge. Obviously losing Dellin (Betances) as he worked his way back definitely hurt. Wish we had him but all that we've been through this year I do feel like we're going in a pretty good situation tomorrow. We feel buttoned up and ready to go."
With Stanton's and impending return of Encarnacion, the Yankees pose a difficult test for Minnesota's pitching staff, beginning on Oct. 4. Boone, however, says facing the Twins' underrated bullpen could pose a serious threat.
"I think some of their bullpen arms are probably a little bit better than what is getting credit for," Boone said. "They've had a couple of guys really develop in set-up roles and back-end roles, especially in the second half of the year. A couple of guys in the (bullpen) that had really strong seasons that aren't the sexy household names yet but have turned into guys that you've got to be on top of your game against them.
Click the audio player above to listen to Boone's interview in its entirety.
