Yankees Navigate Short Bench Amid Paternity Leave for Amed Rosario

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Infielder Amed Rosario, known for his passion for collecting baseball cards, indulged in a purchase of 2026 Topps cards during the Yankees' day off in Sacramento. The following day, he surprised his teammates with hobby boxes. However, Rosario's time with the team has taken a brief pause as he left on Saturday for paternity leave.

With the Yankees currently in California facing the Athletics, Rosario is not expected to have a replacement on the 26-man roster, leaving the team with a reduced lineup for the duration of the series. Manager Aaron Boone stated, “We’ll see how it unfolds (Saturday), but probably doesn’t make sense just for one day.” Thus, the Yankees will continue their two-city road trip down a position player.

Players are permitted a three-day absence for the birth of a child, so Rosario is anticipated to return on Tuesday when the Yankees kick off a home series against the Cleveland Guardians. In his absence, the team will have just 12 active position players, which include nine starters and a three-man bench. Rosario has been a valuable asset, particularly against left-handed pitchers, often filling in at third base, where regular Ryan McMahon—a left-handed hitter—has struggled.

This season, Rosario has made his mark with a .273 batting average, six home runs, 20 RBIs, and an .843 OPS over 31 games. He recently had a standout performance, going 4-for-6 with two home runs in a historic 15-1 victory against the Royals, where every Yankees starter logged at least two hits for the first time in franchise history. “It feels great to be part of Yankee history,” Rosario commented following the impressive game. “It’s a team effort.”