Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton exits early with left foot injury; X-rays negative
Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton talks to trainers at home plate in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Twins at Yankee Stadium on Monday. Credit: Errol Anderson
Giancarlo Stanton was replaced by pinch hitter Aaron Hicks in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 5-2 victory over the Twins on Monday after twice fouling a ball off his left foot in two previous at-bats. X-rays were negative.
Asked if he thinks Stanton will be able to play on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said, “I don’t know. We’ll see.”
Boone said the injury is not related to the Achilles problem that put Stanton on the injured list in late July for 28 games. He returned on Aug. 25 and is 4-for-38 since coming back (4-for-49 overall). He went 0-for-3 on Monday.
Benintendi could return
The Yankees did get some surprisingly hopeful news on another injured outfielder.
Boone said Andrew Benintendi, who is having surgery on Tuesday for a broken hamate bone, might not be done for the season.
“No. I hope not,” Boone said. “I’ve had the exact surgery in 2001 and was back. Everyone’s different. Every surgery heals a little bit different. I think the possibility of him returning is still in play. You just never know how surgery and the healing goes.”
Rizzo having side effects
Anthony Rizzo, who hasn’t appeared in a game since Wednesday but is not on the injured list, is resting at home after suffering headaches following an epidural shot for his aching back.
“Kind of doctor’s orders to rest just because he was getting some headaches from the epidural he had,” Boone said. “Back’s doing well, but they want him to rest here and make sure he’s asymptomatic from any of the headaches. So no headaches [Sunday], none so far [Monday]. If that’s the case [Tuesday], then Wednesday he would be able to come in and start ramping up . . . It’s not something that you want to mess with.”
Boone said the Yankees haven’t placed Rizzo on the 10-day IL in part because they already are carrying 28 players with expanded rosters. Miguel Andujar would be the obvious call-up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he has failed to impress in his limited time in the majors this season.
DJ LeMahieu, who had been filling in at first, was not in the lineup as he continues to deal with an injured toe. He has two hits in his last 38 at-bats.
Marwin Gonzalez started at first and was charged with an error when he dropped Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s low flip on a routine grounder in the second. He also hit a solo homer in the third.
Bader closer
Harrison Bader (right foot plantar fasciitis) is edging closer to making his Yankees debut after the (so-far) lopsided trade with the Cardinals for Jordan Montgomery.
Boone said Bader is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Sept. 13 — or perhaps as early as Sunday. Bader hasn’t played since June 26.
“Harrison’s doing well,” Boone said. “This will be an important week for him. He’s kind of doing full pregame field work, final running progression things, continue to hit, and if all goes well there, could start a rehab [assignment on Sept. 13]. But we could even move that up if this week continues to look like what we hope.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
