DETROIT — Cody Bellinger was healthy again and a right-hander was on the mound for the Tigers.
Still, Trent Grisham found his way back into the lineup.
Grisham, one of the hottest Yankees hitters early in the season, started his fifth straight game Monday, this one over Jasson Domínguez in a 6-2 loss to the Tigers at a chilly Comerica Park.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged before the game that Grisham was “definitely” forcing him to find a way to keep him in the lineup.
That was rewarded again Monday as the center fielder went 1-for-4 (lowering his average to .423) and scored a run on a day when the Yankees lineup did not do much.
Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees celebrates after scoring against the Detroit Tigers.Getty Images
And with Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal set to take the mound Tuesday, Grisham, the left-handed hitter who has reverse splits, figures to be back in the lineup again
“The good thing is we got a lot of guys really performing well, so usually on a given day, there’s a couple difficult decisions to make,” Boone said. “The fact that so many guys are playing well hopefully allows … a guy to take advantage of a day off through the long stretch as you’re trying to continue to build them up in the first month of the season.
“But no question that Grish has continued to force his way in there with more and more playing time.”
Boone has some flexibility in how he can get Grisham more playing time without taking too much away from another starter.
On Monday, it was giving Domínguez his first day off of the season against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize, with Bellinger moving over to left field.
On Tuesday, it could be by sitting the lefty-hitting Ben Rice against Skubal, having Aaron Judge DH and Bellinger move over to right field. And other days, it could be by having Bellinger play first base to spell Paul Goldschmidt on occasion.
“Little bit of a puzzle and hopefully it continues to have to be that way because guys are deserving to be in there day in and day out,” said Boone, who indicated the decisions would come down to matchups.
Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (12) hits a single in the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While Grisham, a premium defender in center, entered the season as the club’s fourth outfielder, he has taken full advantage of early opportunities with his bat.
Through Monday, he was batting 11-for-26 with a 1.308 OPS. Grisham started a pair of games over the weekend, while Bellinger sat out with back tightness, and produced in both of them, including a two home runs on Saturday. He also delivered a game-tying two-run single in the ninth inning Sunday.
