Aaron Boone believes Giancarlo Stanton is getting closer to where he wants to be
The Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton watches his RBI groundout during the first inning against the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
DENVER — Aaron Boone believes Giancarlo Stanton is close to breaking out.
For the sake of a offense that has struggled without Aaron Judge — and continued to do so Friday night in a 7-2 loss to the Rockies — the Yankees certainly hope so.
“He’s getting there. He’s getting there,” Boone said before Saturday night’s game.
Stanton, who started in rightfield Friday and Saturday, went 2-for-4 Friday, including a monstrous 455-foot two-run homer to left-centerfield in the first inning to account for the Yankees’ only runs. In the first two innings Saturday night, Stanton had an RBI groundout and a three-run homer to rightfield as the Yankees took a 6-1 lead.
Though he entered Saturday hitting only .211, with 10 homers and a .735 OPS, there have been positive signs of late, albeit in a small sample size. In his previous 11 games, Stanton hit .290 with four homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.071 OPS. Three of the homers came in his last three games going into Saturday night, and he made it four-for-four.
“It’s timing, it’s rhythm, it’s that subtle load that he has within his legs and how his hands [work]. So he’s getting in that good position to make a good swing decision,'' Boone said. "He’s getting there. He’s not to that point where like G really locks it in and then you’re [the opposition] is in real trouble. But there’s no question the last couple weeks he’s trending in that direction.”
Stanton missed 43 games earlier this season — from April 16-June 1 — with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. His struggles were especially pronounced right after his return as he hit .096 (5-for-52) with two homers, two RBIs, 19 strikeouts and a .421 OPS in 15 games.
“He’s been pretty healthy since he’s come back,” Boone said. “So for him, it’s just getting that real good timing and rhythm.”
Higgy’s hitting
Jose Trevino started the season as the unquestioned starting catcher, with Kyle Higashioka as the clear backup. But Higashioka, who started Friday and Saturday, has gradually changed that dynamic and now is on equal footing with Trevino, mostly because of his bat.
“Higgy’s been swinging the bat pretty well for an extended period now,” Boone said. “They both are so good behind the plate [defensively], but I do like the way Higgy’s been swinging the bat. And I feel like he’s been one of those guys that I feel like has hit a lot of balls hard for outs so hasn’t had a lot of good luck on his side but has still been getting some decent results.”
Saturday night’s start gave Higashioka — who was hitting .236 with five homers and a .675 OPS — 66 games this season compared to 53 games for Trevino, who came into Saturday hitting .211 with four homers and a .571 OPS (Trevino missed 11 games in May with a left hamstring strain). Higashioka, though he went 0-for-3 Friday night, still entered Saturday hitting .286 with two homers and a .777 OPS in his last 21 games.
Judge back on field
Judge (sprained right big toe) took batting practice on the field for the first time during his rehab process on Friday and did so again before Saturday night’s game. “He did more stuff today [in the outfield during pregame], moving around and running,” Boone said. “It went well.”
Bauers healing
Outfielder/first baseman Jake Bauers, out since July 6 with a left rotator cuff strain, is “getting really” close to either a rehab assignment or immediate activation to the big-league roster.
“I think he feels like he’s ready to go now,” Boone said. “So he’ll really ramp up baseball activities the next couple days and we’ll be close to either sending him out [on a rehab assignment] or bringing him here.”
Happy homecoming
A throng of local reporters filled the Yankees’ dugout before Friday night’s game waiting to talk to DJ LeMahieu, who played for the Rockies from 2012-18.
“It’s a special place for me,” said LeMahieu, who acknowledged the crowd later in the evening when a tribute to him was played on the scoreboard. “I feel like I grew a lot as a player. Was part of some great teams and had some unbelievable teammates.”
LeMahieu was a two-time All-Star with the Rockies as well as a batting champion and three-time Gold Glove winner at second base.
“He exemplifies the definition of a winning player,” Bud Black, the Rockies' manager since 2017, told reporters. “He cared about winning as much as anybody I’ve been around.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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