New York Yankees Manager Boone Has a Tough Decision Looming

The New York Yankees have welcomed back multiple star players, potentially making Aaron Boone's job that much tougher.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are finally looking healthy for the first time since the first week of the 2023 MLB season.

Good thing too, because even with a 34-25 record, they still in third place in the American League East and sit six games out of first place. 

That has to be made up somewhere. 

On Friday, the Yankees welcomed back Josh Donaldson and slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Both sluggers hit home runs in their return, meeting their expectations outlined in their job description. 

But it also means that New York manager Aaron Boone will have to make some tough decisions when it comes to who he runs out every day and who makes the lineup. 

Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe and Donaldson will vie for infield spots. Stanton will have a vice grip on the designated hitter position, a necessity if the Yankees hope to keep him in the lineup for any meaningful length of time lest they risk him to injury in the field. 

How Boone does that is yet unclear, perhaps even to him until he has some system locked in. 

“Hopefully it does [make my job harder],” Boone said. “Hopefully because they’re all doing their thing and banging, so you know that each day you’re sitting a really good and dangerous player over there. But that’s how it is. We’ve been working hard to get ourselves whole and healthy. [Friday is] another step towards that.”

As the New York Post points out, perhaps the easiest solution is the correct one. Utilize these players in a rotational fashion. 

It's a no-brainer. 

Still, managing personalities, expectations and knowing when to employ certain players will rest squarely on the shoulders of Boone. 

Something everyone will be watching very closely. 

Read more from Inside the Pinstripes:
- Yankees Named Front

-Runners in Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes

- Former Yankees Outfielder Signs With AL Contender

- White Sox Reportedly Shopping Ace, Yankees Should be Interested

- Yankees Place Bader Back on IL

- Ex-MLB Manager Believes Big Changes are Coming for Yankees