New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has missed each of the last three games of the ALCS due to a strained quad, but he will return to the lineup in Game 5 as the designated hitter, replacing Edwin Encarnacion:

Encarnacion had an excellent series against the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, but he has just one hit in this series and is 1-for-19 over the course of the last five games. The Yankees will give Stanton a go at DH with their season hanging in the balance.

Stanton had an excellent introduction to the series. He legged out an infield single in his first at-bat of Game 1 and would later homer off Houston Astros starter Zack Greinke to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

However, Stanton reportedly suffered the strain legging out that infield single in the first inning, and he told manager Aaron Boone that he did not feel healthy enough to start in Game 2.

The Yankees have been cautious with Stanton's workload, assessing him as day-to-day while monitoring his ability to move comfortably. Though he will not roam the outfield, Boone will insert him into the lineup in the hopes that he can produce with runners in scoring position.

New York has struggled to hit in high-leverage situations. They had a big opportunity to chip into Houston's 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Gleyber Torres and Encarnacion struck out in back-to-back plate appearances with the bases loaded.

Stanton makes his return in Game 5, but can he save the Yankees' season? Stay tuned.