Slumping Giancarlo Stanton a costly no-show for desperate Yankees lineup
Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees strikes out to end the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Under ordinary circumstances, Giancarlo Stanton not being in the lineup Wednesday night against the Mariners could be considered nothing more serious than a routine breather for the oft-injured slugger.
In fact, the first question posed to Aaron Boone during the pregame media session was about Stanton’s absence.
“Just a day off for Stanton?” the reporter asked.
To which Boone replied, “Yes.”
That was the extent of the initial exchange, a perfunctory well-being check on Stanton, who returned from the IL back on June 2 after missing more than six weeks with a hamstring strain. But in reality, sitting Stanton for Wednesday’s clash with Seattle ace Luis Castillo went much deeper than that, and underlined one of the major concerns for the Yankees going forward — especially with Aaron Judge still on the shelf.
Later, when I pressed Boone further on the missing Stanton, he wasn’t shy about suggesting Castillo would be a rough matchup for him — “as good as he is, he’s really tough on righties, too,” the manager said, then talked about the opportunity to get the lefty-hitting Willie Calhoun in the lineup “at least while 'G' is kinda going through it.”
Choosing Calhoun to DH over Stanton, the former MVP pulling in $32 million this season, is not the easiest thing to swallow, on a variety of levels, regardless of who’s pitching for the other side. But where the shaky Stanton is at the moment, it’s tough to argue with Boone’s decision, and that’s quite an indictment of the everyday DH with 384 homers on his resume (Calhoun has 37).
Since coming off the IL, Stanton was hitting .111 (5-for-45) with two homers, two RBIs, 17 strikeouts and a .482 OPS over those 13 games. Small sample sizes or not, that’s hard to do. In Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory, Stanton went 0-for-4 with a groundout, an infield pop-up and was called out on strikes twice (drawing loud boos each time).
That lackluster showing — combined with the terrible track record — was enough evidence for Boone to spare Stanton a meeting with the dazzling Castillo, who likely would have made his life only more miserable. But what does that say when the Yankees feel the need to protect Stanton against one of the game’s elite pitchers, at a time when they’re desperate for run production? Not to mention Stanton is still due $160 million through 2027.
And this isn't about load management. Before Wednesday night, the Yankees had played only six games in the previous nine days, including Sunday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park, where Stanton went 0-for-7 with five Ks.
“I just need to find my rhythm, pick the ball up a little sooner,” Stanton said Sunday. “The reps help, but at this time, I don’t have time to just take reps to get them under my belt. I need to [make] an impact when I’m in there, so I just need to figure it out.”
Stanton wasn’t in the clubhouse during Wednesday’s media availability and didn’t take batting practice outdoors with the team, so I didn’t get a chance for him to provide an update. But we’ll assume it’s status quo since Stanton was on the bench, and that’s not a place the Yankees can afford to stash their second most dangerous power threat with No. 1 out indefinitely.
Considering that Stanton only spent one rehab game at Double-A Somerset before joining the Yankees on their trip to Los Angeles — his hometown — I asked Boone if this ugly stretch might be a byproduct of jumping back to the majors too early, along with the spotty schedule recently. He didn’t entirely buy into that theory.
“It’s a little bit of a struggle for him to find that good timing,” Boone said. “Get his rhythm at the plate. I think physically he’s good. I even checked on him [Tuesday] night. I think he’s feeling good. He’s bounced back well. So it’s one of those things you just want to ride out ... But he’ll get through it. We’ll look up soon and then, here we go, because I think physically he’s in a good spot.”
That’s typically the key for Stanton. As streaky as he is, as long as he’s standing upright, Stanton will do damage. Boone also suggested that he may start Stanton in the outfield for Thursday’s series finale, which would mark the first time since a start in left on July 21 last season at Minute Maid Park. Stanton has stated in the past that being involved defensively tends to boost his performance at the plate as well, so maybe the sooner the Yankees can get him out there, the better.
“I think it helps him a little bit,” Boone said. “But I think if he was DHing all the time, he’s gonna hit when he gets locked in.”
Evidently, the Yankees didn’t believe that was going to happen Wednesday night.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.