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New York Post | Dan Martin: The Yankees have five full days off before beginning the ALDS on Friday, and they’re happy to have some added rest before they begin their World Series pursuit. While some teams might worry about collecting rust during a long stretch without games, the Yankees are happy to use the time off to get healthy and prepare for a deep playoff run. The Yankees will have a voluntary workout Tuesday, followed by full-team workouts Wednesday and Thursday.
NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Yankees hitting coach Marcus Thames spoke with NJ Advanced Media about Giancarlo Stanton as he enters the postseason with limited regular season at-bats. Thames said he believes Stanton will take advantage of simulated games on Tuesday and Wednesday at Yankee Stadium to make sure his timing is right. He also mentioned that Stanton wants to stay short to the baseball, something he’s been working on in the cage since his return from the injured list.
NJ.com | Mike Rosenstein: Although DJ Lemahieu finished eight points behind Tim Anderson for the American League batting title, he might have come closer than some people realize. In order to qualify for the batting title a player must average 3.1 plate appearances per game, which equates to 502 appearances in a season. Tim Anderson, who won the title with a .335 batting average, registered his 502nd plate appearance last Tuesday, putting him in position to surpass Lemahieu and his .327 batting average for the American League crown. Lemahieu finished the season with 655 plate appearances in 145 games.
New York Post | Ken Davidoff: Davidoff wrote about the harsh reality that the Yankees are entering postseason play with serious championship expectations for the first time since they were swept by the Tigers in the 2012 ALCS. This is the not the underdog Yankees story of the past three Wild Card teams. This year’s Yankees have excited fans with their resilience and ability to overcome injuries, but now they’re playing with something to lose in October.