Yankees ALCS roster: Matt Holliday starts at designated hitter in Game 1 vs. Astros

Holliday didn’t appear in a game during ALDS.

Matt Holliday starts at designated hitter for the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston (8 p.m. ET, FS1), after not appearing at all in the American League Division Series.

Holliday hit .231/.316/.432 with 19 home runs in 105 games for the Yankees, though he struggled mightily down the stretch, hitting just .189/.264/.358 in 46 games after the All-Star break. His last plate appearance in a game came on Oct. 1, the final day of the regular season.

“There’s some concern, which was part of the reason I had him take about seven or eight at-bats yesterday to try to get used to that velocity and seeing movement on pitches,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters before Friday’s series opener.

The 37-year-old Holliday did hit .267/.366/.477 against left-handed pitchers in 2017. He is 1-for-7 (.143) with two strikeouts against Astros Game 1 starter Dallas Keuchel.

Yankees designated hitters this postseason — Jacoby Ellsbury and Chase Headley through their first six games — are 0-for-20 with three walks and eight strikeouts.

New York has the same active roster for the ALCS as it did for the ALDS.

Yankees ALCS roster

Right-handed pitchers (8): Dellin Betances, Sonny Gray, Chad Green, Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Adam Warren

Left-handed pitchers (4): Aroldis Chapman, Jaime Garcia, Jordan Montgomery, CC Sabathia

Catchers (2): Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez

Infielders (6): Greg Bird, Starlin Castro, Todd Frazier, Didi Gregorius, Chase Headley, Ronald Torreyes

Outfielders (4): Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Aaron Judge

Designated hitter (1): Matt Holliday