The New York Yankees are winning games, but the offense has shown some cracks lately.
Anthony Volpe is ice cold. Cody Bellinger looks lost at the plate. Austin Wells, despite strong framing behind the dish, hasn’t found his rhythm with the bat.
In the middle of it all, the Yankees could use a power surge—and it might be coming from a familiar face.
Giancarlo Stanton Trending Toward a May Return
The 35-year-old slugger took a visible step forward in his rehab this week.
Stanton, who’s been dealing with lingering tennis elbow issues since last season, took batting practice with teammates on Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone noted that Stanton’s been doing more work behind the scenes than people realize.
“I don’t know how significant because he’s been doing a lot more than that (inside),” Boone said. “But certainly it’s good to see him out there on the and in a (BP) group hitting. So I think all of us get a smile seeing that.”
There’s no clear-cut return date just yet, but a May activation seems realistic.
Where Does He Fit with Ben Rice Raking?
That’s where things get tricky.
Ben Rice has been on fire, slashing .288/.402/.603 with six homers and 11 RBIs. His 191 wRC+ ranks among the league’s best, and he’s currently on pace for 42 home runs.
He’s too good to bench. But Stanton can’t play the field anymore, which means the DH spot becomes a game of musical chairs.
The Most Likely Scenario: Platoon City
The easiest way to solve the logjam?
Platoon Stanton and Rice. Use Stanton against left-handed pitching and let Rice handle righties. Then sprinkle in Rice at catcher or first base when possible to keep his bat in the lineup.
That flexibility matters with Paul Goldschmidt playing strong baseball and J.C. Escarra thriving behind the plate.
Boone has options, and that’s the point. Too many good bats is the kind of “problem” any manager would welcome.
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