PHILADELPHIA — Giancarlo Stanton is officially back.
The Yankees activated the slugger from the disabled list on Monday ahead of their series against the Phillies after missing five weeks with a hamstring strain.
The club designated Jamai Jones for assignment to make room on the roster for Stanton.
Stanton had been a key component of the Yankees’ lineup, batting .246 with a .795 OPS and 18 home runs in 69 games before he was injured while running the bases on June 22.
The Yankees didn’t send Stanton to rehab before his return, but instead had him take batting practice last week using a high-velocity pitching machine and a trajectory machine (which simulates a major league pitcher) to build up his stamina.
Stanton has struggled the past two seasons since returning from foot injuries.
The Yankees need to change things up this season, as the middle of their lineup has suffered in his absence, but they’ve seen strong performances from Austin Wells, Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo recently, and they also acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Marlins.
Jones, whose minor league option had expired, was with the Yankees from the start of the season, but he had few opportunities to play off the bench.
The 26-year-old infielder/outfielder batted .238 with a .685 OPS in 33 games, but only 10 of those were starts.
