Yankees Decide on Giancarlo Stanton's Return Date

One of the Yankees' most important players will finally be back in a couple of days.

Jul 23, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees injured designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) works out at Yankee Stadium before a game against the New York Mets. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Help is on the way for the struggling New York Yankees.

According to beat reporter Bryan Hoch, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is expected to be activated off the injured list on Monday and play against the Philadelphia Phillies. Stanton has been out since June 22 with a left hamstring strain.

Yankees hope to activate Giancarlo Stanton Monday in Philadelphia

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 26, 2024

The 34-year-old slugger was originally expected to miss four weeks upon sustaining the injury, which would have targeted a return for July 20; however, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated that Stanton was getting another week to build himself up for in-game action, hence why the Bronx Bombers aren't officially activating him until Monday.

"He's pretty much done everything he needs to do. Now it's about building, though, building a little bit of volume," Boone said. "Obviously, he doesn't play the field that much, but you've got to build up that volume."

Stanton was enjoying a bounce-back year prior to his injury with a .246/.302/.492 slash line, 18 home runs, 45 RBI, and a 124 wRC+ in 69 games played. The Yankees desperately need his production, as they've sputtered to an 8-17 record without him and have a .593 OPS from their cleanup hitters this season, which ranks last in the majors.

It is worth mentioning that when Stanton was injured last season (which was also a left hamstring strain), he played in only one rehab game before returning to the Yankees; in 20 games that month (June), he hit just .145/.234/.304 with just three home runs, a meager 46 wRC+, and a whopping 31.2% strikeout rate. This brutal slump after Stanton's return from injury was a major factor in what ended up as the worst season of his career, and is why the Yankees are trying to make sure he's game-ready before activating him.

But even if Stanton struggles out of the gate in this case, New York's lineup is structured in a way that allows his presence to make the lineup better. This would be especially beneficial for the team's best hitter, Aaron Judge; with Stanton lurking in the on-deck circle, pitchers would be far less inclined to pitch around Judge and give him better pitches to hit.

The Yankees are still looking to improve the team from outside the organization, and are expected to bring in a bat before the trade deadline on July 31. However, the return of Stanton should deliver a similar impact that hopefully allows the team to get back on track.