Could Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton return for Wild Card Series? He took a meaningful step
NEW YORK — Nearly 50 miles from Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run during live batting practice — a meaningful step for the potential return of one of the Yankees’ greatest postseason hitters in franchise history.
Read more Pahala food drive illustrates continuing strain from Hurricane Lala
Stanton, along with center fielder Trent Grisham, took six or seven live at-bats against minor leaguers at the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate in Somerset, N.J., as the players attempt to return to the lineup before Game 1 of the Wild Card Series next Tuesday.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Wednesday that both hitters are “knocking on the door” of getting activated off the injured list. But of the two, Stanton is the most intriguing option.
Stanton has not appeared in a game since April 24 after straining his right calf. While rehabbing that injury, he suffered another calf injury in a different spot in the same leg. He then strained his left calf after falling down while running the bases during rehab from his second injury.
When he’s healthy, few hitters are as dangerous as Stanton, especially in the postseason. Among all Yankees with at least 100 postseason at-bats, only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson and Hideki Matsui have a higher OPS than Stanton’s .926.
Stanton was spotted in between Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays doing agility drills in the outfield, which was a sign the Yankees are doing what they can to make him available as a potential option for the postseason.
“He’s doing pretty well,” Boone said of Stanton.
But the Yankees know it would be a bit of a mystery as to what version of Stanton they’d be getting, considering he hasn’t played in five months. The roster fit with Stanton is also odd.
If Stanton returns, he won’t play the outfield, meaning he’d be a designated hitter only. But Ben Rice, who has the sixth-best wRC+ in MLB this season, is the Yankees’ DH, no matter if there’s a right- or left-hander on the mound. So Stanton likely wouldn’t be in the starting lineup, a fact that Boone alluded to, because of how the Yankees’ roster is structured.
Read more Hearing set for man accused of killing Army combat vet in Puna
“You’re looking more at a pinch-hit scenario,” Boone said. “We’ll see if that’s even a realistic option. I don’t know yet.”
Boone added that the likeliest roster breakdown, as of now, would feature 15 position players and 11 pitchers. There could be space for Stanton off the bench, but he’d have to replace someone such as Amed Rosario or Ryan McMahon, two players who could be on the bubble, depending on what the Yankees do at third base.
“There’s a lot of different iterations, ways we could go into the Wild Card Series,” Boone said. “If you went heavy position player, you could have a lot of options throughout the game, and the more position flexibility you have, the better.”
One pitcher who was also in Somerset with Stanton on Wednesday is flame-throwing prospect Carlos Lagrange. Boone said that the right-hander is “in the conversation” for the wild-card roster, despite not making his MLB debut yet.
Lagrange pitched one inning last week after returning from a shoulder strain and hit 102 mph with his fastball. He doesn’t have much experience pitching out of the bullpen, but the upside could be big. The Yankees don’t have anyone in their bullpen who can throw over 100 mph.
But Stanton and Lagrange might not be realistic options for the Yankees, given the unknowns around both. So expectations that both players are on the postseason roster should be tempered for now.
“All (of their work), at least, is putting them on the outskirts of the conversation, if nothing else,” Boone said.
Read more Curtis Murayama: 49ers, Hawaii fans have to wait to see Stribling prove his NFL worth