PHOENIX — It is possible Trent Grisham could be on the Yankees playoff roster, but he almost certainly will not play again in the regular season. The Yankees are not planning to activate Grisham off the injured list during the final week of the regular season, in part because he still has boxes left to check off in his return from a hamstring strain but also because of complications in how they construct their playoff roster.

“I know he’s trending to be close, but the activation might be a little complicated,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday before an 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

The issue has to do with the fact that iIf the Yankees were to activate Grisham during the regular season, they would either have to option a player to Triple-A or designate someone for assignment to clear a spot on the active roster. Optioning a player would make them ineligible to be recalled for 10 days (or 15 for a pitcher), meaning the Yankees would not have access to them for the AL wild-card series and potentially the ALDS.

Max Schuemann is expected to be sent back to Triple-A to make room for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who could come off the IL as early as Tuesday, but clearing another spot gets more difficult if everyone stays healthy.

The question then becomes whether the Yankees want to have Grisham on their playoff roster fresh off missing three-plus weeks on the IL, coming back to an uncertain role.

Spencer Jones has taken over center field duties in his absence and hit well (even with some hiccups defensively), especially against left-handers.

New York Yankees’ Trent Grisham throws during batting practice before a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Noah K. Murray

With Aaron Judge trending toward missing the wild-card series, Heliot Ramos figures to start in right field against the Red Sox left-handers. Ccould Grisham start in center field against a righty like Sonny Gray, with Jones moving to right field, or be a left-handed pinch-hitting option off the bench?

Before the Yankees have to make that decision, Grisham still needs to finish off his running progression to be cleared physically.

“He’s been doing quite a bit,” Boone said. “He’s pretty deep into his running progression, hitting and doing baseball activities. So he’s getting pretty close.”

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The day after Grisham and Cody Bellinger suffered their hamstring strains earlier this season, they were out on the field moving around in some agility drills. But there was no sign of Judge on the field before any of the three games this weekend since he strained his calf. It is possible that is because the Yankees did not want him on the artificial turf, which can be troublesome to players dealing with leg issues, or that Judge was doing his work inside. But the Yankees weren’t saying either way.

“I don’t know what he was able to do [Saturday],” Boone claimed of his captain. “I’m not sure.”

Chisholm is “in play” to be activated in time for Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays, Boone said, after being on the IL since Sept. 10 with a right thumb sprain.

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That will create some questions for Anthony Volpe, who has played well at second base since being called up from Triple-A as Chisholm’s injury replacement, though Boone would not say how he planned to handle it.

Asked if Volpe could be an option at third base, where he played three games at Triple-A, Boone said, “We’ll see.” It is also possible he could platoon with Chisholm at second base.

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After sitting out Saturday’s game with a sore left foot/heel, Spencer Jones returned to the lineup Sunday and crushed a 448-foot homer.

“I think he’s a little beat up still, but again, he’s been playing with it for several days, too,” Boone said. “I think maybe something he has to deal with a little bit, but hopefully minor in scope.”