The Yankees announced Friday that right fielder Aaron Judge will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight. Additionally, Giancarlo Stanton’s rehab assignment will be moved up from Class-A Tampa to Triple-A as well.
It’s a breath of fresh air for a Yankees team that has been without its top two sluggers for nearly the entire season. Stanton has been on the injured list since April 1, while Judge was placed there alongside him 20 days later. The two have combined for just 23 games and 104 plate appearances between them, although that hasn’t stopped the Yankees from putting together the fourth-best record in the Majors as they jostle with the Rays for the AL East lead. The now-looming return of both Judge and Stanton only strengthens their position within the division.
Clint Frazier has had some misadventures patrolling right field in absence of Judge and Stanton, while the Yankees have turned to a host of others for shorter glimpses in right field and at designated hitter. Mike Tauchman, Kendrys Morales, Cameron Maybin and Mike Ford have all seen some time in one or both of those spots as New York has capably patched over the lineup in absence of arguably its two biggest bats.
There’s still no official timetable on the return of either Judge or Stanton. Given that Stanton’s already played a pair of games in Tampa, he seems likelier to return first, but it stands to reason that both will be back in the Yankees’ lineup within the next couple of weeks (barring any setbacks).
Hottest ticket in Scranton since the Dundies.
Underrated
This belongs in Comment Cooperstown.
Well done. Judge and Stanton should do a remake of Lazy Scranton.
“Plenty of space in the parking lot, but the little cars go in the compact spot”
Lol
The game is in Durham.
It’s been reported that they could both return during the next homestand.
Yippie
Love that Evil Empire name, terrific!
well, it´s been nice knowing you Cameron Maybin
Yeah, there’s really no outcome where he stays with the team, right? He’s played well, all things considered. Would make a fair fourth outfielder type, but judge, Stanton, Hicks, Gardner, Frazier, leaves no room for another. Might not even leave room for Frazier.
Well they have Tauchman up at the moment, so say he’s first sent down. Can see them saying Frazier needs regular ABs and sending him down as well. Haven’t seen any reporting on it though.
If they send Frazier down, then this team is clueless. His bat is hot right now and he is one of the best players in the majors when it comes to RISP this year. They can easily find him playing time (4 out of 7 games), he can rotate between LF, RF, DH with Judge, Stanton.
They will keep Frazier out of RF at any cost. As for LF that’s also quite an adventure for him. If they can get a team to bite use him plus others to trade for a starter.
I get what you say about using Frazier as trade bait for a starter because of all the youngins he probably attracts the most attention as a young, controllable, player with ML experience regardless of his defense.
However, trading him may improve pitching, but dooms us to Gardner, Maybin, Trauch., etc in left field with occasionally Stanton….not a good plan for later this season nor the future. Florial is not a LF’er and they certainly aren’t moving Hicks out of CF.
Interesting dilemma.
Florial isn’t close to ready, so that takes him out of the equation. If Stanton and Judge return at even 75% that easily negates the need for any Frazier offense. You rotate Judge and Stanton between RF-DH, and Gardner-Maybin in LF. The Yankees need starters for injury reasons, lack of quality starts, and they’re in dire need of a #1.
Clint Frazier is terrible defensively right now, but you would think,with his athleticism, that he can eventually improve with adequate playing time……
If Maybin switch hit, or was lefty, he’d probably stay. Tauchman or Morales (whichever one is active at the time) would be first. Then probably Maybin. Gardner and Frazier would be OF 3 & 4.
Too bad neither of them can pitch.
Don’t be that guy.
International League World Series, here we come!
Don’t worry about who they’re sending down when they both come back because one or both will re-aggravate or tweak something on the rehab assignment and miss another 6 weeks
They catch Pedroia disease?
They just collided in the outfield shagging flies and they’re both out for another month.
The way they Yankees should do this is Frazier in LF, Hicks in CF, and Judge in RF. Stanton can DH since He’s the most delicate of the bunch. Rotation of Gardner in LF and CF, Stanton gives Judge some rest in right as well.
Move on, move on, nothing to see here! Hal is putting forth worthless news to cover the fact he is not going to make a move by the trade deadline!
if the Yankees had listened to the MSM, they would have BOTH Harper AND Manny Machado, neither of whom do they really need……