5 Observations From Yankees' Final Workout Before Game 1 of ALDS

Here are five observations and takeaways from New York's workout at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

NEW YORK — Exactly 24 hours before the first pitch of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were wrapping up their final workout before embarking on what has the potential to be a lengthy postseason run.

For a few hours Monday, the Yankees went through defensive drills, took batting practice and capped it all off with live batting practice, one final opportunity for position players to see live pitching before the ALDS begins.

Here are five observations from a crisp evening in the Bronx...

Five Observations From Yankees' Final Workout Before ALDS

Here are some observations and takeaways from New York's last workout before they begin the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians

Carpenter Keeps Building

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Carpenter gave an update on his status on Sunday, assuring that he's "ready" to return from his fractured foot for the ALDS and beyond. He continued to ramp up on Monday, showing once again that he's in position to make an impact.

Carpenter's workout began with sprints on the outfield grass. He transitioned to the batting cage for BP, starting with soft swings to the opposite field before driving home runs to the pull side. 

Couple BP home runs over the short porch from Matt Carpenter ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vobVZbyxPV

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) October 10, 2022

The 36-year-old then moved back to the outfield grass, shagging as his teammates took batting practice. At one point, on an Aaron Judge line drive bouncing into the right-field corner, Carpenter spun his hips and sprinted in pursuit. 

Finally, Carpenter racked up a few more plate appearances during live batting practice under the lights. At one point, after grounding a single into right field, the veteran ran it out, advancing to second base on a walk and eventually coming around to score—running hard before jogging from third to home.

Even before Carpenter's injury—when he fouled a ball off his left foot against the Mariners in Seattle on August 8—the slugger wasn't particularly fleet-footed. Still, seeing him move around and with some spurts of intensity is a good sign. On Sunday, he said he wouldn't have any problems scoring from second base or getting back into the outfield on defense. It was just a workout, but he showed it between the lines on Monday.

Now, the question is whether or not Yankees manager Aaron Boone will use Carpenter in the starting lineup. If he can play outfield—or better yet, if Giancarlo Stanton is able to play outfield—then the slugger could do much more than just come off the bench as a pinch hitter. 

DJ Run it Back

Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Another key piece that's working back from an injury is DJ LeMahieu.

Boone has been noncommittal when it comes to LeMahieu's status. The skipper explained Monday afternoon that the veteran has been working to get his swing back, powering through with inflammation in his second right toe. 

On Monday, LeMahieu showed he can connect against live pitching and run the bases. That said, it was evident that he's "compromised," as Boone has put it recently. In his live at-bats, whenever LeMahieu made contact, it was weak. We're talking slow ground balls in the infield and soft liners that nestled into the outfield grass.

It's possible LeMahieu was just getting his timing back, not wanting to overexert himself before the games really count, but he didn't look right, far from the hitter that's been New York's best and most consistent atop their lineup at times over the last few years.

LeMahieu finished up by running the bases a few times, ramping up in his acceleration as he ran from first to third.

This will be Boone's biggest decision when finalizing his 26-man roster. Either LeMahieu plays through it and provides a boost off the bench, a trusty bat that can play all over the infield defensively and won't be fazed by the bright lights of the postseason, or you leave him off, choosing a healthier player that's in a better physical position to help this team win. 

Remember, LeMahieu's production has been exponentially worse over the final two months of the regular season. From August 9 to October 5, LeMahieu hit .149/.206/.149 with zero extra base hits in 25 games (missing a chunk of time on the IL during that span). 

Where's Waldo?

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

This is nothing new, but it still stood out.

Rookie Oswaldo Cabrera was bouncing all over the diamond during the defensive portion of New York's practice.

He started at shortstop, moving over to second base, taking ground balls and throwing over to first. He then swapped out his infielder's glove for a first base mitt, working on his footwork while holding on a runner and coming off the bag.

From there, Cabrera went back to the dugout to grab a different glove, jogging out to left field to shag. When he moved over to center field a few moments later, he had brushed up on his defense at five different positions.

Since this tweet (so in the last 15 minutes), Oswaldo Cabrera has worked on his defense at shortstop, second base, first base and now left field. Unprecedented versatility from the rookie. https://t.co/vlizYkAClH

— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) October 10, 2022

Cabrera played three-plus games at six different positions during his two months with the big-league club this season, unprecedented versatility from a youngster in the process of adjusting to playing in pinstripes. Odds are he'll start in the outfield in the postseason, but his ability to play everywhere allows the Yankees to move guys around late in games and still feel comfortable about their defense with the game on the line.

Need For Speed

Tim Locastro spent a significant chunk of time working with first base coach Travis Chapman during BP, practicing his jumps off first base as his teammates hit in the cage.

Locastro is on the bubble for a roster spot, an outfielder that's been used almost exclusively as a pinch runner this season. That's because the speedster is elite at coming off the bench and swiping a bag, one of the quickest players in all of Major League Baseball.

Whether Locastro makes the Yankees' roster for the ALDS remains to be seen, but he was absolutely getting his work in on Monday, preparing as though he'll be an option off the bench on Tuesday night and beyond.

Nobody Holmes?

Clay Holmes was scheduled to throw live batting practice on Monday, one final step to show he's worthy of a roster spot for the ALDS after his shoulder strain.

Holmes didn't end up pitching, though. A handful of Triple-A arms, like Chi Chi Gonzalez, faced Carpenter, LeMahieu, Cabrera and a slew of other position players. It's unclear what led to the change—perhaps Holmes threw a bullpen and New York didn't want to waste his bullets before Game 1, already comfortable using one of their roster spots on him. It's also possible he suffered some sort of setback. 

You'll know more when New York unveils their ALDS roster at some point on Tuesday and when Boone sits down for his pregame presser in the afternoon.   

MORE:

• This Yankees Starter Could Close Games in ALDS Bullpen
• Brian Cashman: ‘Pot of Gold’ Awaits Aaron Judge After ‘All-Time’ Bet
• Yankees' Aroldis Chapman Left Off ALDS Roster After Skipping Mandatory Workout

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.