If the Yankees are to get to where they want to be offensively, and where they have been in recent years, they will need more from two of their best hitters in Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres.
Stanton looked like his peak self before landing on the IL with a quad strain last month. Prior to the injury, Stanton held a .282 batting average with nine home runs, but since he returned, he has just one hit in 16 at-bats while striking out nine times.
But Stanton also hasn’t been used regularly since coming back from injury, getting three days off over the last six games, and while Boone hopes the slugger can play all three games of this weekend’s important series against the Red Sox, he will continue to be cautious with Stanton, who has battled numerous injuries since the start of 2019.
“We’re working with this at him, and we’re trying to get him ramped up and listen to his body,” Boone said on his weekly segment with Carton & Roberts. “It’s a day to day thing, and I’m hopeful he can play the entire weekend or at least two of three, but it’s a day to day thing and we have to check in every day.”
The Yankee bats were again held quiet on Thursday, allowing Rays starter Ryan Yarborough to pitch a complete game and lead Tampa to a series split, and Stanton wasn’t in the lineup. But Boone had already anticipated easing Stanton back in to everyday play, even as a regular DH.
“Going into this week, I knew he’s probably gonna have a couple days down, but it’s more me checking with him and the training staff at the end of each night and making our determination from there, seeing how he continues to improve and what he’s feeling,” Boone said.
Torres also sat on Tuesday, and the shortstop has fallen into a slump after swinging a red-hot bat immediately following his return from the COVID-19 list. This week’s slate has contained some of the most important games of the season so far, given the team the Yanks just played and the team they’re getting set to play are the two that they are chasing in the division, but Boone is making sure his most important hitters will be rested and productive for the long haul.
“That’s not ideal when you’re up against a division rival,” Boone said of Torres’ absence from the lineup on Tuesday. “Gleyber was in a run of a stretch of 13 in a row, he played a doubleheader and had a couple games where he struggled defensively, and it was a day I felt he needed a mental break.”
Yankee fans won’t want to see any key contributors out of the lineup for the first series against Boston this season, but if necessary, Boone won’t hesitate to give Stanton a day to rest, or even Torres if needed. The games this weekend are crucial to the Yanks for gaining ground in the division, but Boone will continue to look at the big picture, despite the reintroduction of the rivalry happening in the Bronx this weekend.
“I think it’s more of a fan thing,” Boone said. “I think we understand though that when you’re playing the Red Sox it means a little more, because the fans bring an added energy and excitement you feel. That’s fun to be a part of. As players or coaches, we’re in a homestand against two really good division rivals, so more of the focus is just on winning ballgames. You feel that extra energy from the extra attention and eyeballs.”
Listen to Boone’s entire segment with Carton & Roberts below.
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