Inside The Pinstripes

When Giancarlo Stanton Is Expected to Return From Injured List

Stanton will embark on a rehab assignment Saturday, suiting up for the Double-A Somerset Patriots.

Max Goodman

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NEW YORK — Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will play in a game on Saturday for the first time in exactly four weeks.

Stanton is headed to Double-A Somerset, set to begin a brief rehab assignment as he works back from the 10-day injured list (Achilles tendinitis). 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone walked through Stanton's rehab schedule on Saturday morning, explaining that the slugger will get three-to-five at-bats as the designated hitter with the Patriots in each of the next two games. He'll be taking the field for Somerset out in Bowie, wrapping up a series against the Baysox, Baltimore's Double-A affiliate.

"Hopefully he'll get through tonight, bounce back tomorrow, be in a good spot physically," Boone said. "Hopefully he gets some action on the bases as far as going first to third or whatever it may be, just moving around like that. And we'll see how it comes out of today and hopefully tomorrow."

From there, Stanton is scheduled to face rehabbing starter Luis Severino in a live batting practice on Tuesday. Severino is also working his way back from the injured list (low grade right lat strain), ramping up from bullpens to live sessions against hitters.

"He'll be honest with us as far as how he's recovering from those things and then hopefully we'll get him in a position to face Sevy on Tuesday and then hopefully be in a position to take the next step," Boone added.

The next step would be a return from the IL, giving the Yankees a much-needed boost offensively. New York has been reeling at the plate over the last several weeks, getting shut out five times in the month of August while winning just three of 16 games since the trade deadline.

The Yankees are scheduled to head to the West Coast this week, traveling to Oakland and Los Angeles before finishing a 10-game road trip in Tampa Bay. With Stanton hitting against Severino on Tuesday—the final day of a two-game set with the Mets in the Bronx—it's possible the slugger could be ready for Game 1 of New York's series against the Athletics on Thursday. 

Similar to his rehab appearances this weekend, Stanton will be New York's designated hitter when he's ready to rejoin the Yankees. Eventually, he'll mix in some appearances in the outfield, building up in his defensive reps on the fly just like he did last year, coming back from a right calf strain.

"He'll continue with that pregame work, moving around in the outfield," Boone said. "I think he'll let us know and his body will let us know when we're ready to make that step. It is something that I want to get to at some point, but allow his body to tell us when that time is."

As of now, barring any other injuries, New York doesn't necessarily need Stanton to come back and play outfield right away. In addition to starters Aaron Judge and Andrew Benintendi, prospects Oswaldo Cabrera and Estevan Florial have been the recipient of starts in the outfield over the last few games. Aaron Hicks, who has struggled mightily of late, hasn't started since his performance to forget on Monday against the Rays, but he's also still available. 

Still, Stanton being able to play in the outfield down the stretch will be valuable for this club. That opens the door for others to get days at designated hitter, making sure everyone stays healthy while keeping important bats in the lineup.

Stanton was originally placed on the injured list on July 26, retroactive to two days prior. Therefore, if he returns to the lineup at the beginning of New York's series on the road against the Athletics, he'll have missed one entire month of games. The All-Star is hitting .228/.309/.498 in 80 games this year with 24 home runs and 61 RBI.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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