Giancarlo Stanton, known for his insane ability to hit towering home runs, has been a force to be reckoned with when in form. However, injuries and inconsistent performance have hampered his time with the New York Yankees, limiting his playing time and impact on the field. This season has been no different.
After an early explosion, Giancarlo Stanton fell prey to a hamstring injury which led to six weeks of absence. With an intense rehab program, the potent hitter was able to make a comeback, but it turned out to be an absolute nightmare. With him, his form did not return, and the batter kept recording hitless outings one after another. Not only that, the Yankees chose to keep him away from the outfield to limit his exposure to injury risks. That changed this week, but sadly, the form remained the same.
Yankees Put Giancarlo Stanton Into Outfield For The First Time Since Injury
Giancarlo Stanton hit six home runs in the first four weeks of the 2023 MLB season. Certainly, the fans rejoiced about the batter’s impressive form. However, the unimaginable form perished shortly after Stanton sustained a hamstring injury. On top of that, it took additional time for Stanton to heal, owing to his physical dynamics. Fortunately, he was able to return a couple of weeks ago, at the same time when Aaron Judge hit his toe and landed on IL. Hence, pressure shifted on the DH to step up and fill in for the captain. However, the Yankees restricted his access to the outfield, and he was only allowed to play as a DH.
Crowd boos Stanton as his slump worsens to 3 for his last 44 pic.twitter.com/APAvK28Akv
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 24, 2023
After two weeks of playing as a DH, Giancarlo Stanton returned to the outfield and played in right field against the Mariners on Thursday. While he had a good field day, the story on the plate remained unchanged. He went 0-for-3 during the Yankees’ 2-10 humiliating loss against Seattle. Not only that, in the past 12 days, Stanton has recorded 3-for-31 with 16 strikeouts. Without Aaron Judge in the lineup, Stanton’s impact is crucial for the Yankees in the field as well as on the plate. He is probably the only hitter capable of emulating Judge. While Stanton himself has not faced the media, the manager, Aaron Boone, did say that his timing has been off so far. But he is working on it and will come out of his slump in no time.
Will Playing Stanton In Field Help Him Regain His Form?
The Yankees held back Giancarlo Stanton from resuming field duties to manage his workload. However, Stanton has always believed that playing in the outfield helps him get more engaged in the game. He thrives as an outfielder. When asked about the same, skipper Aaron Boone said that irrespective of what anyone believes, whatever they are doing is in the best interest of Stanton. Boone feels that even if the batter plays as DH on a constant basis, he can hit like his old self.
But as far DHing is concerned, the Yankees will hold him for a little more time. For now, he will play in the field just twice a week. That being said, with time, patience, and hard work, Stanton has the potential once again to become a significant offensive force for the Yankees. The whole team, including Stanton, is racing against time and must resolve existing issues soon.