CHICAGO - Giancarlo Stanton was back in the Yankees’ orbit Wednesday, but not in the way anyone in the clubhouse wants.
A player in a sleeveless No. 27 Giancarlo Stanton basketball jersey - a Yankee Stadium fan giveaway this season - was the one jogging the outfield warning track at Rate Field four hours before first pitch. That turned out to be reliever Fernando Cruz, who is in Chicago for the Yankees’ series against the White Sox and Cubs.
Stanton, meanwhile, was seen walking through the Yankees clubhouse and into a back room during pregame media availability. Whether he kept up his running work before the game wasn’t clear, but he was set to miss his 82nd straight game because of a calf strain that was first described as “low grade.”
That injury has already kept Stanton out for more than half the season. It happened on a jog from first base to second base on a walk by Jazz Chisholm during an April 24 game in Houston.
The rehab has had its stops and starts. Stanton began a running program, then got shut down after a setback in June, and restarted running again almost four weeks ago. He has done some outdoor running over the last two weeks, but he still hasn’t been cleared to run the bases.
With Stanton unavailable to talk, Aaron Boone has kept getting the same question and has mostly given the same short answer: “He’s doing better.”
Before Wednesday’s Yankees-White Sox game, Boone was pressed again by NJ.com on what exactly is holding things up if Stanton is already running and feeling better.
“He just needs to get to a level intensity-wise with the running,” Boone responded. “You don’t need to keep asking.
He’s running. When it gets really close to being in a game or something, we’ll let you know.
It’s not there yet.”
Stanton isn’t the only big bat missing. The Yankees are also without Aaron Judge, who has a fractured rib, and Cody Bellinger, who is dealing with a hamstring strain.
Judge last played May 31 and won’t be cleared to resume baseball activities until his rib has healed more. There is no date yet for reimaging.
Bellinger was hurt last weekend in Philadelphia and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
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