Stanton’s Comeback: A Disappointing At-Bat

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Giancarlo Stanton finally got his chance.

After being out for more than five months, his first at-bat didn’t quite turn into a memorable moment. However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone found a silver lining in Stanton’s performance during the team’s 1-0 defeat against the Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.

With the Yankees down by a run in the top of the ninth inning, Boone brought Stanton in to pinch hit for the left-handed Ryan McMahon as Rays closer Bryan Baker took the mound. This was significant, as Stanton hadn’t batted since April 24 due to three separate calf strains. Unfortunately, he struck out after five pitches, managing to foul off the first pitch but ultimately tipping a 96 mph fastball into the catcher’s mitt for Strike 3.

“Baker’s obviously had a great year,” Boone commented. “A really tough guy with reverse splits. I wasn’t going to pinch hit for all my lefties there, but I felt Giancarlo posed a threat. I thought he had a solid at-bat. He was in sync with all five pitches and seemed to handle the changeup well. He made good contact right off the bat.”

“I liked what I saw. He took the right approach. Just didn’t connect. So yeah, I decided to take a chance on him, and we had [José Caballero] run for him as we played the odds there.”

Stanton had a history against Baker, hitting 5-for-7 with just one strikeout, but he couldn’t capitalize this time.

Ryan Weathers also made his return to the mound for the first time since August 22, replacing Gerrit Cole in the sixth inning and handling three groundouts against three left-handed batters.

“I felt super healthy,” Weathers remarked. “Everything felt good. My stuff was looking solid.”

After dealing with a left forearm flexor strain for over a month, Weathers mentioned he should be ready for Monday’s Game 2 since he retired the side using only nine pitches.

The Yankees initially left Weathers off the roster for the wild-card series to build his stamina, hoping to make him more available for the ALDS.

As for other lefties in the Yankees bullpen, there’s setup man Brent Headrick, who’s shown some fatigue recently, and Ryan Yarbrough, who mainly serves to lengthen the bullpen if needed. Headrick has struggled with his velocity as the season progressed, making one wonder if he might be running on empty.

To make room for Weathers, the Yankees dropped veteran Amed Rosario from their roster, opting for 11 pitchers and 15 position players instead.

Rosario had been included in the roster against the Red Sox, but with the Rays having fewer left-handers, and the Yankees already featuring right-handed options like Paul Goldschmidt, Heliot Ramos, and Stanton for pinch-hitting, Rosario became what Boone called the “odd man out.”

“It was a tough decision, considering how critical he’s been for us,” Boone reflected. “But he understands, and he’ll maintain his usual positive attitude and support the team in the dugout.”