Yankees’ Brian Cashman points to major vulnerabilities on the roster

During an event at the Bronx Children’s Museum, General Manager Brian Cashman discussed the challenges facing the infield, particularly highlighting the lack of depth.

“I don’t feel like we have a (backup) first baseman right now on the roster,” he said, via The Athletic. “Rizzo is being run out there every day. Obviously, if LeMahieu was here, you could swing DJ over and give us some coverage. I know Cabrera can play first but then who’s playing third? I feel like we have a little bit of exposure at first base coverage behind Rizzo and the left side of the infield coverage is exposed with Berti down and LeMahieu down. We’re a little bit vulnerable because of that. We have a little bit of a hiccup there that we were hoping would get solved with LeMahieu coming back soon. It is what it is.”

Managing the Current Roster and Looking Ahead

With LeMahieu sidelined, the Yankees lack suitable options to rest Rizzo, who is just beginning to find his form this season. Rizzo is hitting .242/.314/.358 with three homers and 11 RBIs, showing signs of improvement in his recent games with two home runs, three hits, and three RBIs.

As the Yankees navigate these infield challenges, they will rely heavily on players like Rizzo and Oswaldo Cabrera, who continues to cover third base. The team may consider using the trade deadline to bolster their infield, particularly if Gleyber Torres continues his offensive struggles.

The first 25 games of the season have shown volatility within the infield unit, and management remains hopeful that key players like Anthony Volpe, Rizzo, and Torres will find consistency. However, with ongoing injuries and performance issues, the Yankees may need to explore external solutions to stabilize their roster.