Aaron Boone sounded optimistic that Giancarlo Stanton would be ready for action soon, but not overly optimistic that “soon” meant this weekend.
Stanton again took batting practice on the field and ran the bases Wednesday, continuing to build himself up following a left hamstring strain suffered June 22.
Boone said Stanton is “toward the end” of his rehabilitation, which as of yet has not included a rehab assignment.
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There is still wonder whether Stanton, who has been hitting off high-velocity machines, will get minor league at-bats or be activated immediately.
Despite a series at Fenway Park beginning Friday — a venue where Stanton loves hitting and against a team the Yankees would love to unleash their best DH bat — it sounds as if his activation is not quite imminent.
“I don’t want to say ‘no,’ but I don’t know,” Boone, asked if Stanton could be ready for the series in Boston, said before losing the Subway Series finale, 12-3, in The Bronx. “I’m not necessarily expecting it, but we’ll see how these next several days go.”
The Yankees’ lineup has plunged without Stanton, who was having a bounce-back (if not vintage) season before going down.
The slugger posted a .795 OPS with 18 home runs in 69 games before Stanton winced going around third base attempting to score on a single and wound up with a strain that has cost him 4 ¹/₂ weeks so far.
The Yankees have used Stanton’s time on the bench to give DH days to Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but no one has stepped up in a lineup that has two reliable bats.
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“I’m clearly excited, will be very excited to get him back,” Boone said. “But also don’t want to get ahead of myself and rush him. I want him to be completed, ready to roll, at the end of the rehab process.
“[We] want him to be in a really good physical space so that we’re in the best position possible to where he can come in and start impacting, and frankly impact us the rest of the season.”
Against Mets lefty Sean Manaea, righty-hitting J.D. Davis got his second straight start at DH and went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Lefty-hitting Ben Rice was out of the lineup for a second straight day as DJ LeMahieu played first base and Oswaldo Cabrera was at third.
Boone said Rice is “not necessarily” being strictly platooned and only playing against righties.
“We’ll see what happens over the next week,” Boone said, with the trade deadline coming Tuesday and possible bats and shake-ups on the way.
Boone does not know when Jasson Dominguez, whose rehab has gone ahead of schedule, could become an option for the big leagues.
The top prospect, who suffered an oblique strain June 15, is expected to rejoin Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre within the week.
“But I know he is capable of contributing at a high level here. When that time comes, I can’t answer that.”
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But Dominguez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September that kept him out of action until mid-May, has played just 23 minor league games this season.
When he has played, he has performed (1.014 minor league OPS).
“I certainly think very highly of the person and the player,” Boone said. “But at the same time, he’s an optioned player right now. So when he starts playing, how much runway does he need? I don’t have that answer for you because circ*mstances change up here every single day.
“But I know he is capable of contributing at a high level here. When that time comes, I can’t answer that.”
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Juan Soto (2-for-3 with a home run and double) has three homers in his past three games, five in his 10 and eight in his past 23.
Austin Wells (1-for-2 with two walks and a hit by pitch) reached base a career-high four times.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson threw out the ceremonial first pitch and chatted with plenty of Yankees and Mets — including Boone, Judge and Francisco Lindor — before the game.
The Yankees held a moment of silence for former player and coach Mike Ferraro, who died recently at 79 years old.
Ferraro was a third baseman who played in 33 games in 1966 and ’68.
He later managed in the Yankees’ farm system and was the club’s third-base coach.
