Explaining Why Giancarlo Stanton Remains on Yankees ALCS Roster Despite Quad Injury

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the ALCS because of a quad injury, making it his second straight game he is not available to start (though he swears he can hit).

So, why is he still on the roster?

Simply put, if he's removed from the roster, then he becomes ineligible to compete in the World Series if the team advances.

Giancarlo Stanton would be ineligible for the World Series if the Yankees take him off the ALCS roster. Aaron Boone declined to give a grade on the strain but said they are asking Stanton to be frank with them about his ability to play.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) October 15, 2019

This isn't a decision with only one impact; there's a wide-ranging ripple here.

Stanton is dealing with a quad injury, and obviously it's not believed to be so serious that he won't be able to return. Manager Aaron Boone wants Stanton to be honest about his injury, so he can replace him if he can't play. That hasn't happened, so they must believe he'll be able to return at some point.

Just to clarify on this, the player wants to play, the team wants to make sure they know what he can do. These dudes are wired to compete.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) October 15, 2019

In essence, this policy is supposed to mimic the 10-Day IL of the regular season. If there's a minimum of 10 days missed if you're down during the 162-game stretch, then why should someone be able to come back after only a few days off in this instance?

Whether Stanton is seriously injured or not, he's taking a lot of heat for not playing through it in the postseason, especially since he's taking a roster spot that could be filled by someone just as valuable.