Giancarlo Stanton is on the brink of a crucial Yankees return, even if the specifics of that comeback — a date and whether he will require a rehab assignment — remain unclear.
“I’m going to get a few more days in and try to see what the best plan is by the end of next week,” he said in The Bronx before Saturday’s matinee against the Rays. “Just gotta stack up a few more good days together, and then see what we can do from there.”
Stanton — hitting .246 with a .795 OPS and 18 home runs in 69 games before straining his hamstring in late June — was seen running the bases and taking batting practice Friday afternoon, with manager Aaron Boone saying he’s back to full baseball activities.
“I think now it’s about the stamina, building it over and over each day,” Boone said Saturday. “Getting that volume under his belt to where he comes back it’s ready to roll. You know, now it’s about stacking days of putting it together, but I feel like he’s in a pretty good spot.”
The cleanup spot — where Stanton hit in 27 games before the injury this season — has been a weak link for the Bronx Bombers, who had the major’s lowest OPS (.577) for the No. 4 slot entering Saturday.
With Alex Verdugo faltering, Boone acknowledged that now is the time for someone to seize the role with Stanton still out.
“There’s no question going through this, especially the consistency with what [Stanton] was showing, we certainly have missed it,” Boone said. “Looking forward to getting him back.”
Saturday’s batting order saw a shakeup, with Austin Wells moving up to the cleanup spot and a slumping Verdugo dropping to sixth.
“Just being out in general sucks, and then not being able to help the team at all during any type of stress,” Stanton said about watching the team hit a slump and fell to second in the AL East after he was sidelined.
Boone highlighted that the Trajekt pitching machine — a machine that mimics real major league pitchers and their specific pitches — could help Stanton prepare for his return and possibly bypass rehab assignments.
He doesn’t need to play the field, so it’s mainly about whether Stanton can regain his timing in simulated settings rather than in minor league games.
If Stanton can return to his pre-injury form, which has not been the case in recent seasons after returns from the injured list, the 34-year-old would provide a much-needed boost to the middle of the lineup.