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By Peter Chawaga
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Yankees completed a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, igniting a desperately needed turnaround for a season that was slipping away.
But the series came with a concerning change that could put a damper on hopes that the Yankees will be pushing toward the playoffs at their best.
After earning three consecutive starts in right field, Giancarlo Stanton, who has been the Yankees' hottest hitter of late, was held out of the lineup over the weekend. Manager Aaron Boone explained that Stanton's lower body wasn't recovering from his return to the outfield.
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On Sunday, Stanton answered questions about his health, and he offered a concerning three-word response on Boone's explanation.
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"Yeah, that's accurate," Stanton said, according to NJ.com's Randy Miller.
Stanton was able to pinch hit on Sunday, but if issues in his lower body won't allow him to consistently play the outfield, the Yankees might have a problem. Franchise slugger Aaron Judge is occupying the designated hitter role as he recovers from his own injury, so Stanton won't be able to help carry the team's offense if he cannot slot into a defensive position.
"The Yankees are in a fight to make the playoffs holding the last AL wild-card spot with 38 games to go after Sunday's game and Stanton has been one of their best hitters since coming off the injured list," Miller added. "Stanton was told that he must hate sitting out recent important games and responded, 'Yes, I do!'"
Yankees fans surely hate to see Stanton so limited by injuries as well. He has two more years left on his contract with the Yankees, followed by a club option, but it seems he will be limited to serving as a designated hitter and pinch hitter for the rest of his career if he cannot recover from playing in the outfield, which in turn limits the ways the Yankees can optimize their lineup.
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