TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton will return to the New York Yankees’ lineup Tuesday night after missing three games with what the team described as general soreness, manager Aaron Boone told radio station WFAN.
Stanton will play right field in one of the two games against the Tampa Bay Rays, but Aaron Judge is not expected to appear in the outfield in either.
There is no set timetable for Judge’s return to the field. He was scheduled to test his right elbow with long toss on Tuesday.
“I don’t know yet,” Boone said. “What I’ve said is I’m waiting on the trainers to say, ‘thumbs up.’ He’s expected to long toss again today, so I don’t expect it here in Tampa. Could it be Boston? Maybe. I just don’t know yet.”
Boone added that Judge may not regain full throwing strength this season.
“I don’t think we’re going to see him throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK,” Boone said. “We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and protect himself.”
The Yankees are coming off a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and hold a three-game lead for the final American League wild-card spot. Offensively, they will be satisfied if Judge can simply remain productive at the plate. Since being activated from the injured list on Aug. 5, Judge has been limited to designated hitter duties. He entered the week batting .333 with 39 home runs, 91 RBIs and a 1.134 OPS, all among the league leaders. His home run Sunday was his first extra-base hit since returning.
Judge’s inability to play the field has reduced the team’s flexibility. Stanton is batting .299 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .953 OPS this season, but his long injury history makes any outfield assignment a risk. He did not debut until mid-June because of tendinitis in both elbows. After playing three straight games in the outfield last week, he missed three consecutive games with soreness. He has declined to specify where the discomfort occurred.
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