On Old-Timers’ Day, the expectation is Giancarlo Stanton will unretire his glove.
There is a “good chance,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, that the designated hitter will make his return to the outfield Saturday for the first time since Sept. 14, 2023.
With Aaron Judge able to serve as designated hitter but not able to field — he is beginning to build up his right arm after a flexor strain — and with lefty Framber Valdez expected to be on the mound for the Astros, the Yankees are ready to at least somewhat risk Stanton’s legs to shoehorn his bat into the lineup.
Stanton has not played the outfield in nearly two years because his body has not held up. He has played more than 114 games in a season just once since 2019 largely because of lower body issues: knee sprains, hamstring strains, quad strains, calf strains. Last year, he was shielded from defensive work but strained his left hamstring running the bases. This year, he did not play until mid-June because of elbow tendinitis in both arms. If his elbow bothers him while throwing, he has not brought it up.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard Giancarlo complain,” outfield and third-base coach Luis Rojas said.
Last year, Stanton returned from injury in time to become a monster in October, which is when the Yankees most rely upon Stanton’s bat and most want him ready to play.
“There’s always risk when you go play the game,” Boone said Friday before the Yankees opened the series with the Astros in The Bronx. “We wouldn’t put him in a situation where we feel like there was big-time risk. That said, the game and all that, anything’s possible.
“I do feel like, physically, he’s in a good place to go out and do it on a limited basis.”
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Stanton has been doing pregame work in the outfield for the past week-plus and logged his busiest day Friday, when he fielded ground balls, shagged fly balls, ranged back to the wall and worked on handling balls sent into the right field corner. He is not, and will not, be running max speed, each step intentional as has become habit for his best chance at staying healthy, but he has handled the pregame balls sent his way.
He looks “progressively good,” said Rojas, who hit the balls toward Stanton. “He’s a veteran guy. You got to trust how he feels.”
By all accounts, Stanton has been feeling good enough to give defense a try. He was out of the starting lineup for a third straight game Friday to squeeze in Judge’s bat.
In doing so, the Yankees were forced to sit their hottest hitter. Stanton entered play with nine home runs and a 1.039 OPS in his past 21 games.
“He doesn’t want to be a liability for the team. He just wants to be out there and help the team win,” Rojas said. “He wants to be a player for us on the defensive side. So, he’s excited to show he can do that.”
This experiment will not be a permanent one, Boone stating several times that the club wants the flexibility to put Stanton in a corner-outfield spot every once in a while.
It is not clear how long the Yankees will be unable to put Judge in the outfield. Judge shared right field with Stanton before Friday’s game, throwing lightly for a second time. Boone said Judge would throw from 90 feet again, and then the club would see how he feels as he builds up his workload in his right arm.
Practicing alongside Judge, Stanton has added more reps and more drills each day recently before what may be his moment of truth Saturday.
“I’ve been feeling better and better each day just because he’s wanted more work,” Rojas said.