Trent Grisham may have just played his final game with the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees have given Trent Grisham every vote of confidence in the world to keep the starting center field job over Spencer Jones. In fact, Aaron Boone went as far to say that Grisham will maintain the role once Aaron Judge returns.
But on Friday night, Grisham may have actually handed Jones the job.
In the second inning, Grisham was thrown out trying to steal second base and felt tightness in his hamstring. He then failed to get to a bloop, run-scoring single in the third inning. After the frame, he was removed from the game.
Grisham has had hamstring issues in the past, and this one could result in an IL stint, Boone said after the game.
Obviously, you never want to see anyone get hurt, so hopefully, Grisham is fine. But if the 29-year-old does have to hit the injured list, it would actually solve the roster crunch.
Once Judge returns, someone will have to be removed from the roster. Amed Rosario is a cut candidate. Jones could potentially be demoted.
Or maybe the Yankees won't have to get rid of anyone at all?
If Grisham hits the injured list, New York could promote Max Schuemann or Jasson Dominguez to temporarily fill that roster spot. Then, once Judge returns, whoever the Yanks called up could go back down.
Rosario's spot on the roster would be safe in that regard, and not only would Jones also be safe, but he would also become the Yankees' starting center fielder.
Grisham is slashing .211/.308/.395 with 18 home runs and 59 RBI over 484 plate appearances on the season. It's a far cry from what he achieved last year, when he smashed 34 homers and posted an .811 OPS, resulting in the Yankees tendering him a $22 million qualifying offer — which he accepted.
Not only has the former first-round pick seen a dramatic dip in his offense this year, but his defense has continued to decline.
Grisham has posted a minus-8 DRS and minus-6 OAA in center field in 2026, making him a liability in the outfield regardless of how "smooth" he may look.
Last year, Grisham was 3.1 WAR player. That number has plummeted to 0.7 WAR this season.
Hamstring issues can be tricky. Cody Bellinger just missed over a month with one, so it's hard to imagine that Grisham's absence will be brief.
The Burleson, Tx. native is slated to hit free agency this winter, and this time around, the Yankees don't seem likely to bring him back.
Should Grisham be sidelined for the remainder of 2026 (which is a distinct possibility), we may have seen the list of Grisham in pinstripes.
