Struggling through a current pitching funk, the New York Yankees need all the support they can get in terms of run production, and they’re close to bringing back two of their sluggers.
Giancarlo Stanton, making his way through the minor league systems to return to the starting team, has been smashing homers left and right.
Giancarlo Stanton absolutely demolished this baseball pic.twitter.com/5lKDqFfoqR
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) June 15, 2019
Barring another setback, the Bombers are set to gain back Stanton as early as Tuesday of next week. His presence will be felt in the second game of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees’ closest competitor for the top spot in the AL East.
In addition to Stanton, Aaron Judge is also in line to return during the Yankees’ 10-game homestand. Both Stanton and Judge featured in the lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday night. The sluggers have been facing upper-body issues, Giancarlo with a bicep and shoulder, and Aaron with a strained oblique.
I can’t imagine Judge will be fully healthy but hopefully, he can perform without reinjuring the muscle. The younger of the two when 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and Stanton went 1-for-3 with a three-run blast. The pair didn’t fare extremely well, but both have been sidelined for quite some time and are in need of at-bats to perfect their timing.
“We feel they are at a point where they are doing well,’’ Boone said when asked about the sluggers’ progression, according to the New York Post. “Obviously they have to get through these final steps and hurdles and rack up some time here. Starting to plan and get excited for them. Hopefully, they join us at some point in the homestand.’’
Judge was hitting .288 with 5 homers and 11 RBIs when he got injured. Allowing him to return to full form is the priority, but it might take a few weeks for him to regain his timing. Being cautious with him and a potential reinjury is essential, but his influence will be impactful on the required success of the Bombers.