New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been activated off the injured list and will make his season debut on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, the team announced. He’s batting fifth in the lineup.
In a corresponding move, Pablo Reyes was designated for assignment.
Stanton, 35, has been sidelined for the Yankees’ first 70 games by elbow injuries. At one point, there was fear that he could require surgery and be lost for the year. Instead, Stanton will return ahead of the midway point. That’s welcomed news for the Yankees, who will enter Monday’s contest with a 3 ½-game advantage in the American League East.
Stanton has been an above-average performer in all but one of his 15 big-league seasons to date. Last year, he hit .233/.298/.475 (114 OPS+) with 27 home runs in 114 games. He’ll return to the big-league team just 81 home runs shy of reaching 500 for his career. The last time Stanton was in the lineup, he was playing a key part of New York’s American League pennant victory: in 14 postseason games, he hit .273/.339/.709 with seven home runs and three doubles.
During Stanton’s absence, the Yankees have primarily used Ben Rice in the DH slot. Rice performed well enough (he enters Monday batting .227/.311/.460, good for a 113 OPS+) that the Yankees have publicly indicated they could spot him some time behind the plate to keep his bat in the lineup.
“This is a skilled catcher. He has demonstrated in his minor league career, this is a really good receiver,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters last week. “He’s got the skill set to do it. Just the role hasn’t been there yet here for him to do it. But I was really pleased with what I saw from him [Tuesday] night, albeit in just a couple innings.”
