Yankees Veteran Infielder Facing Possible IL Stint Amid Wild Card Fight

Aaron Boone said postgame that Paul Goldschmidt dinged his knee catching a pop-up Tuesday night. The Yankees manager said it “could be day to day, could be IL, we’ll see in 24 hours.” That’s another right-handed bat the Yankees could lose. 

Goldschmidt told reporters after Boone spoke that he didn't "think it's anything long term." The Yankees called it a "low-grade," knee sprain with inflammation.

Goldschmidt’s 2025 isn’t MVP nostalgia. 

 He’s sitting at .276/.331/.422 (.753 OPS), 10 home runs , 40 RBI, five stolen bases the kind of steady production that makes a lineup make sense.

The recent picture is two-toned. Over his last seven games, he’s .261 with two HR. Over his last 15, he’s .186/.205/.395 (the whiffs showed up).

Under the hood, he still has life. He has a 90 mph average exit velo, 42% hard-hit rate, .336 xwOBA this season. That’s not “vintage Goldy,” but it’s absolutely the profile you want walking up against a late lefty with traffic.

We just saw why he matters. 

A week ago in Texas, he came cold off the bench and parked a pinch-hit go-ahead homer. That was the blueprint for how the Yankees planned to leverage him down the stretch, using him to win the two or three plate appearances a week that swing a series.

Without him, first base defense becomes less reliable. Ben Rice played there Wednesday night. The right-handed pinch-hit lane vs. southpaws shrinks. Boone is suddenly asking kids to win grown-up at-bats. 

After losing Amed Rosario and Austin Slater, the other right-handed options, the Yankees are limited. 

There’s also the calendar. 

The Yankees head to St. Louis next, which will be Goldschmidt’s first trip back since leaving the Cardinals.

If it’s truly day-to-day, everyone exhales. If it’s the IL, the Yankees don’t just lose a name; they lose their cleanest counterpunch in the exact moments that decide August.