Yankees' manager Aaron Boone on reunion with recently released Luke Voit: 'We'll see'

Can a smile be worth a thousand unsaid words?

Aaron Boone was asked on Thursday if the Yankees might have any interest in re-signing old pal Luke Voit, who requested and was granted his release from the Mets’ Triple-A Syracuse team earlier in the day.

“We’ll see,” Boone said with a smile as big as Yankee Stadium. “We’ll see.”

While Boone later said, “You’re misreading that answer,” it would make sense if the Yankees brought back Voit in the wake of Anthony Rizzo being placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with post-concussion syndrome. Boone said Rizzo is “week-to-week” and the season doesn’t have too many weeks left.

Voit, 32, was a Yankee from 2018-2021 and led the majors with 22 home runs in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He lost his job when the Yankees acquired Rizzo from the Cubs in 2021 and was dealt to San Diego before the 2022 season. Since then, Voit has bounced around from the Padres to the Nationals to the Brewers without much big-league success.

But Voit found his power stroke for the Mets’ Triple-A club, batting .264 with 14 home runs and a 1.058 OPS in 37 games. He also made headlines by playing in a sleeveless uniform top that was barely buttoned with no undershirt.

“I heard he opted out,” Boone said. “But that is really the extent of it. I haven’t gotten that far into it yet.”

Jake Bauers started at first base against Houston on Thursday. Boone said DJ LeMahieu would also see time at first in Rizzo’s absence. Oswaldo Cabrera was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Boone said the Yankees considered calling up Oswald Peraza to play third with LeMahieu shifting to first, but said they wanted to see Bauers at first against righthanders.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.