Giancarlo Stanton: “It’s great to be back”
Giancarlo Stanton is back, confident that he will start winning games with New York Yankees
New York – Hours before debuting in the season, the designated batter of the New York Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton, was in the batting box in a empty Yankee Stadium, on Monday afternoon, hitting a high -speed pitching machine. One of his priorities in preparation was to be ready to handle an elite speed. He believes that will determine his success in his return after tendons in both elbows.
The first Stanton test, although it ended in defeat, was a success: the toleter was 4-2 with three powerful contacts and a double in the 1-0 defeat in 11 tickets against Los Angeles Angels.
“With fewer shifts at my belt, that will be the most important thing,” Stanton said about the batting speed. “Just make sure you are ready. Look at the ball in advance. Normal things you would say mid -season, but now you have to emphasize it a little more.”
Stanton was discharged until Sunday, losing the first 70 Yankees games. He played with a high level of joint pain in both elbows in 2024, including the postseason, when he connected seven homers in 14 games and was named the most valuable player of the American League championship series. However, he could not hit from January to the end of March, which delayed his preparation for the season.
Beating fifth on Monday in his first appearance in the big leagues from game 5 of the 2024 World Series, Stanton received an ovation from the local public when he was presented for his first appearance on the plate. Then he hit hard.
He felt the first launch he saw – a 96 mph synaker of the Los Angels right pitcher, Jose Soriano – and dominated him with a 101.5 mph roleto for the third base.
He connected a 111.1 mph single to the left garden on his second turn to the BAT, his first 2025 hit, and struck him by throwing him in his third turn before connecting a double of 102.9 mph through the left garden in the ninth entrance.
Stanton’s night ended there when Jasson Domínguez replaced him in second base as an emerging corridor. The Yankees ended up wasting the opportunity to score. They carry 20 tickets without stamping races, a bad streak that goes back to the ninth entrance of the defeat against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
“It’s great to be back,” Stanton said. “Obviously, I want to win, but it is good to be back. I saw the ball quite well, except for a turn to the Bat. So we are working on that, making sure that my rhythm is ready and ready.” Stanton, 35, was eligible to be reinstated from the 60 -day injured list at the end of May, but the Yankees, without urgent needs in his offensive and with multiple options for the designated batter, did not hurry him to return.
He began his rehabilitation last week, appearing in three games on consecutive days for the double A Suberset, after a long period doing swings in front of machines and in live batting practices. He left 11-3 with a double, four ranked races, a ball base and three strikeouts for sub-Aerset.
The Yankees have 16 games in the next 16 days, but the manager Aaron Boone Do not expect Stanton, whose 429 homes for life lead all active players, play every day. Stanton’s availability, in part, will depend on his recovery the day after a game.
“I think unforeseen events may arise from time to time and that could influence different aspects in a given day if it is considered that it is better to give it a day,” said Boone. But I think he has gained a good impulse in recent months. The strength in his hands and similar aspects has returned positively, so, without a doubt, it is something that we will pay attention to, but we believe that we are in a good position.
Boone has the luxury of playing for sure with an offensive that shone without Stanton, the most valuable player of the 2017 National League. The Yankees arrived in the second place of the largest with 123 weighted created races and an OPS of .794, with Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Domínguez rotating mainly in the designated batter post.
That’s where things get complicated for New York. Stanton’s return, as it is, will present a daily problem in the alignment that Boone must solve, not only in the designated batter post, but also in the gardens, where he has Judge and three players (Dominguez, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham) for two positions (central and left garden). Decisions will be reduced mainly to workload and clashes. Paul Goldschmidt, another former most valuable player (MVP), and Domínguez, one of the best baseball prospects at the beginning of the season, were the players who were left out on Monday, although both entered the game later.
“I’ve talked to them and we know what the goal is,” said Boone. “And right now is to reach the playoffs and try to win a division and, obviously, from there, try to arrive and win a world series. So, we make sure that everyone is in tune and confidence. There will be days when someone deserves to be there, but not everyone will be happy with that all the time, and that is fine.”
Stanton said: “What is better for us to win, that is important. And the players who are going to be headlines will go into important emerging batting positions. So, it is usually an opportunity to win a game anyway, so yes, we will work with it.”
Stanton’s return may impact Rice more, who has started in 43 of the 71 Yankees games as his designated batter. The second year player, who started first base on Monday, is hitting .229 with 12 homers and an OPS of .769 this season.
Boone reiterated on Monday that he plans that Rice is occasionally holding as a receiver to relieve stagnation and have his bat in the alignment more frequently.
Rice, 26, was selected as Catcher in the Draft and spent most of his career in the lesser leagues behind the plate, but has not yet started in that position with the Yankees since his debut in the big leagues last season. RICE has accumulated only 6.2 entries in the receiver position in the big leagues.
Austin Wells and JC Escarra have distributed the season as recipients, and Wells have started in 52 of the 70 team of the team in the receiver.
“I see him playing quite a lot,” said Boone about Rice. “Again, only in terms of clashes. As for the receiver’s position, plan to return to the receiver at some point. I don’t know how often. Because, I repeat, I really value what JC has done in the position. As you have seen lately, I value a lot that Austin is available, so the day will come when I have it again, and that can influence things a bit in things.”
The Yankees placed in allocation to the Utility Pablo Reyes to make space in the Roster for Stanton.
Also on Monday, Boone announced that the right pitcher Jake Cousins will undergo surgery Tommy John on Wednesday.
Cousins spent the first three years of his career in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers before joining New York last season. Cousins became a key piece of the New York Bullpen, registering an effectiveness of 2.37 in 37 games during the regular season, before allowing five races in six postseason appearances.
The Yankees expected Cousins to return before the gathering of the stars, when it was placed on the list of injured by a relaxation in the forearm to start the season. However, his recovery was stopped by an injury to the pectoral and was removed from a recent rehabilitation allocation due to problems in the elbow. A significant part of the 2026 season is expected to be lost.
