The New York Yankees moved Paul Goldschmidt into the No. 3 spot in the batting order before Tuesday night’s game against the Cleveland Guardians, elevating him into a premium role while Aaron Judge remains out of the lineup.
It was Goldschmidt’s fourth start batting third this season; he was listed to hit third for Tuesday’s matchup in Cleveland.
Goldschmidt entered June with a.275 batting average, seven home runs and an.865 OPS, figures that translate to a 140 OPS+ for the season.
His season has included two distinct stretches. He opened the year with limited opportunities, starting just seven of the Yankees’ first 27 games and going 1-for-8 in some early appearances combined for a.125 average, one home run and three RBI across 29 plate appearances in that span.
When Giancarlo Stanton suffered a calf strain and Goldschmidt began receiving steadier at-bats, his output climbed: over the next stretch of starts he hit.305 with five home runs, 14 RBI and a.952 OPS, a run that pushed the club to try him in a higher batting-order slot.
The move carries a clear caveat. Goldschmidt has hit left-handed pitching well this year, batting.340 with four home runs, but he was just.196 against right-handers. The Yankees have chosen to place him in a premium spot despite that right-handed split.
Manager Aaron Boone praised Goldschmidt’s contributions and consistency, saying he has been a major factor and stepped up when the club needed production after injuries. Ben Rice added that Goldschmidt consistently shows a professional approach at the plate, coming with a plan and producing hard contact.
Goldschmidt framed the change as part of the team response to Judge’s absence, noting the captain’s importance to the lineup and saying that if Judge misses time the remaining players will have to raise their level and produce for the club.
Judge has been sidelined since early June with a rib injury and was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. He was scheduled to be reimaged in four to six weeks. Judge had exited play in a 1-for-24 slump that dropped his average to.246; the Yankees were 37-25 and a half-game out of first place when he went down.
With Judge’s medical timeline still pending, the Yankees have temporarily upgraded Goldschmidt’s role to fill the void in the middle of the order. How long he remains in the No. 3 spot will hinge on the results of Judge’s reimaging in four to six weeks and on whether Goldschmidt and the lineup can sustain production against the right-handed pitching he has struggled with this season.
