Giancarlo Stanton has been out since June 22 with a hamstring injury. Since then, the New York Yankees have struggled, going 7-14. That is the second-worst record in baseball during that stretch. With the All-Star Break in the rearview, Aaron Boone provided an update on the slugger's rehab. This was his response to Stanton's statement that a decision would come by the end of next week.
“Yeah, I think that's kinda where he's at. I think now it's about the stamina, building it over and over each day.” Boone said in his press conference. “I think he feels really good, getting that volume under his belt to where ya know he gets back and he's ready to roll. Now it's about staking days of putting it together. But feel like he's in a pretty good spot.”
Much of the discussion about Stanton's upcoming rehab has been about live-game action. Aaron Boone also mentioned that he does not believe that Stanton will need minor league games, citing all of the simulated at-bats he can take without having to play the field. Stanton has been the designated hitter in every game he has played so far this season. Time will tell if this Stanton injury will have him heading down the minor leagues. He has played nine games in the minors since joining the Yankees in 2018. He has rehabbed injuries without playing in the minors before, so that would not be a new course of action for Stanton.
Giancarlo Stanton's importance to the Yankees' lineup
Last year is not a year that the Yankees or Giancarlo Stanton want to spend too much time remembering. The Yankees won 82 games, their fewest since 1995. Stanton played in 101 games, hitting a career-low .191. While the 2023 season has many more culprits than just Stanton, the poor season did make him a massive question mark coming into 2024. Like many Yankees, the first few months could not have gone better for Stanton. Before the injury, Stanton was hitting .241 with 18 home runs and 45 RBI. His lineup position behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge has given him plenty of pitches to hit and placed him back in the good graces of Yankee fans.
Since the Stanton injury, the Yankees' middle-of-the-lineup bats have gone cold. Alex Verdugo is hitting .171 in that stretch and Anthony Volpe is at .151. With Stanton in the lineup, Verdugo hit .251 and Volpe was at .270. The Yankees have struggled to find its stride offensively and a healthy Stanton would bring the lineup juice behind Judge and Soto that they have not had in their recent slide. Teams have been able to pitch around both of the stars with the struggling Verdugo usually hitting behind them. Even when rookie Ben Rice has hit cleanup in his career, he is just 1-14. This Yankees slide might be evening out after taking two games from the Baltimore Orioles before the break, but it is hard to believe that it is over until Stanton makes his return.
Looking ahead on the calendar, Aaron Boone's best-case scenario has Stanton returning for next weekend's three-game set in Fenway. After the Red Sox, the Yankees head to Philadelphia for three before kicking off August with a homestand. Yankees fans hope they can give Stanton a big applause in those games as he brings this ball club back to life.
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