Giancarlo Stanton is looming on a significant return to the Yankees, but a specific timeline for his return and whether he will require a rehab assignment are unclear.
“I’m going to have a few more days to work on it and then come up with the best plan for next weekend,” he said in the Bronx before Saturday’s game against the Rays. “I’m just going to keep on feeling good for a few more days and see what I can do from there.”
Stanton, who was batting .246 with a .795 OPS and 18 home runs in 69 games before straining his hamstring in late June, was seen running bases and taking batting practice on Friday afternoon, and manager Aaron Boone said Stanton is fully back to baseball activities.
“I think it’s just about stamina right now, taking it day by day and taking it day by day,” Boone said Saturday. “Once he gets a good amount of practice in to come back, he’ll be ready to go. It’s just about taking it day by day, but I feel like he’s in pretty good shape.”
Stanton played in 27 games this season as a cleanup hitter before his injury and was a weakness for the Bronx Bombers, who as of Saturday were posting the majors’ worst OPS (.577) as a cleanup hitter.
With Alex Verdugo struggling and Stanton still sidelined, Boone acknowledged it’s time for someone to step into that role.
“Going through this is especially [Stanton] “We would definitely miss it if he wasn’t out,” Boone said. “We’re excited to have him back.”
There was a big shakeup in the batting order on Saturday, with Austin Wells moving up to fourth and the struggling Verdugo dropping to sixth.
“It just sucks to be out and all the stress, it doesn’t help the team at all,” Stanton said of watching the team slump and fall to second in the AL East after his absence.
Boone stressed that the Trajectory Pitching Machine, a machine that mimics actual major league pitchers and their specific pitches, could help Stanton prepare for his return and potentially avoid a rehab assignment.
Because he won’t have to play on the field, it will mainly depend on whether Stanton can regain his timing in a simulated environment rather than a minor league game.
If Stanton can regain his pre-injury form (something he has failed to do in recent years since returning from the disabled list), the 34-year-old would provide a much-needed boost to the middle of the lineup.
