Giancarlo Stanton was one of the Yankees’ best hitters shortly before entering the disabled list with a strained left quadriceps.
In three games since he came back, he has been freezing.
Stanton went 4-0 Monday with two strikeouts in the Yankees’ 3-1 loss to the Rays. He is now 0-of-12 with eight strikeouts since he rejoined the team and found out about it Sunday, to constant boos from the crowd after striking out in his last at-bat.
“He has been back for a couple of days. G will be fine, ”manager Aaron Boone said. “As long as you’re healthy and start doing your reps, you’ll be fine.”
Stanton’s slow start from IL has been pronounced when he returned to a whole offensive fight. He had turned the Yankees on their backs for a period from late April to early May, when he had a 12-game hitting streak in which he hit 25 of 52 with six home runs. But he cooled down just before he hit the IL and is still trying to find his groove on his return.
“It’s fair to say that he’s probably dusting off some rust right now,” Boone said. But as long as he’s healthy, he should get in shape here.
Miguel Andujar was 2 of 4 with his first home run of the season, raising it to 16 of 53 (.302) in his last 15 games.
“I’ve had more at-bats all the time,” Andujar said through an interpreter. “That is the big difference. I see more opportunities to come in and play the game.
Kyle Higashioka caught Jameson Taillon for the first time this season after Gary Sanchez was behind the plate in each of his first nine starts. Boone said he chose Higashioka on Monday because Sanchez caught on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit.
“I was looking forward to giving Gary a day today. He will probably play the next two, and then Gerrit [Cole] Thursday’s game is going, so [Sanchez] and Higgy will probably split this series, ”Boone said.
Higashioka had only caught Taillon once before, in spring training.
A day after making a couple of errors in an inning against the Tigers, Gleyber Torres was charged with a pitching error in the sixth inning.
Zack Britton (elbow) is scheduled to make the second appearance of his rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Somerset.
–
–
