Yankees not ready to announce who will start in left field for Game 1

Aaron Boone sounded like someone who had made up his mind.But he was not yet ready to let the public in on what he has decided with regards to his starting left fielder for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Royals on Saturday.And just because Alex Verdugo or Jasson Dominguez starts the series opener does not mean he is locked into the lineup.“I have in my mind where I’m going right now, but I’m still going to let it marinate for 24 hours and make sure I’m talking to the right people before I ultimately make that decision,” Boone said Thursday before the Yankees held another simulated game at the Stadium.

“At least for Game 1, and then it could be fluid from there.”The decision comes down to Verdugo’s defense and experience versus Dominguez’s offensive upside, both from a power and speed perspective.The left-handed hitting Verdugo finished the year with a .647 OPS, the eighth-lowest among 129 qualified hitters.But Boone has raved about his glove all season, and the manager previously indicated that defense would play a big role in the ultimate decision.Dominguez, a natural center fielder, looked shaky at times in left field after being called up Sept.

9.Though the switch-hitter(who is stronger from the left side) did not light it up offensively since his call-up, he has the potential to be much more of a threat in the lineup.

But in the postseason, where every out is magnified, it remains to be seen if the Yankees will be comfortable starting him in left field.GM Brian Cashman on Thursday defended the Yankees’ preparation with Dominguez, which included starting him in left field just 11 times in his final 25 games in the minors before coming up for good.“Obviously there’s a few plays, clearly, that have gotten a lot of attention and understandably so,” Cashman said.“This is a very young, high-end prospect that gets dropped into the middle of a pennant race and playing a position that he’s still developing in.

It’s a tough spot to be i...