The New York Yankees are entering the decisive stretch of the season. Their consecutive games against Houston, Toronto, Detroit and Boston, all in postseason positions, will mark the immediate fate of the Bronx Bombers in the coming weeks.
The first of these tests will be against the Astros in an exciting pitching duel between left-handers Max Fried and Framber Valdez. Two of the best pitchers in the American League will face off at Daikin Park, where mentor Aaron Boone will have a lot on the line, probably his continuity at the helm of the team.
Although he still has two years left on his contract after this season, it is not entirely clear whether management will keep him in the job in the event of a crushing elimination. With all eyes on him, Boone has no choice but to be very careful and get the most out of his players to stay in the playoff places.
On Tuesday, shortly before the game against the Astros, the manager stopped by the Talkin Yanks podcast and gave some news about the team. First, he said that Giancarlo Stanton will start in left field, a position he has not played since September 14, 2023.
The powerful slugger has played only 62 games in left field in his 14-year Major League career, which, coupled with his usual physical problems and little defensive activity in recent years (he has played just 85 games in the field since 2023), raises doubts about his performance with the glove.
However, Boone is on the ropes in this case, because Stanton has been one of the best hitters on the roster since he rejoined from the injured list in mid-June. In just 55 games he has 17 home runs, 46 RBIs and a .999 OPS.
No news on Judge
Another of the points that Aaron Boone addressed in his appearance on the Talkin Yanks podcast has to do with Aaron Judge. According to the manager, the Yankees captain is “getting close” to playing in the field after suffering a strain in his right elbow flexor in late July.
However, Boone still does not dare to give a return date for the Judge, who has only been able to play as a designated hitter since August 5. In this span, although he has not hit at his usual level, he has remained above average, with an OPS of .923.
Boone-Judge: the arm controversy
Boone’s statements are much more restrained than those he gave just over a week ago. “I don’t think we’ll see him pitch like he normally does at any point this year. We’re trying to get him to be able to let it go easily and be able to protect himself,” the mentor told Bryan Hoch in a radio interview.
These statements further fueled concerns about the health of the Bombers’ captain, who did not hesitate to respond to Boone when asked. “I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw in the last two weeks, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be back to 100%,” Judge said, putting his manager in a very bad light.
Boone’s mistake was so obvious that he had to come out shortly afterwards to qualify his statements, saying that perhaps he had exaggerated a little in his stance. “Will he come back with a 70-80 arm? I don’t know if I necessarily expect that. But when we get him back, I hope he can handle the situation,” he said.
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