Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t used a glove in a game since 2023. That streak is expected to end this weekend.
Aaron Boone said there is a “good chance” that Stanton will play right field at Yankee Stadium against the Astros on Saturday. The manager just wanted to see how Stanton responded to some defensive drills on Friday.
A few throws from Giancarlo Stanton in RF as he prepares to play there tomorrow. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/NLY2B8E7Py
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 8, 2025
Stanton last played the outfield on Sept. 14, 2023, but he’s been working out there since Aaron Judge went on the injured list with a right flexor strain. Judge returned from the IL on Tuesday in Texas, but he’s currently limited to DH duties as he gradually progresses through a throwing program.
With Judge DH’ing, Stanton didn’t start the Yankees’ last two games in Texas, where the Rangers play on turf. He wasn’t in the lineup for Friday’s series-opener against Houston, either.
But with Astros southpaw Framber Valdez pitching on Saturday, Boone wanted to get the lefty-mashing Stanton in the lineup. The manager believes the slugger can be “representative” in the field based on their conversations over the last week or so.
“G’s usually brutally honest in those situations,” Boone said. “So I think he’s feeling good about where he’s at and the week he’s had out there.
“He’s always been a quality outfielder. Some range is going to be limited, obviously, but I do feel like he’ll make the plays that need to be made.”
Boone has also been encouraged by conversations he’s had with outfield coach Luis Rojas, who has been hitting to Stanton and going through defensive drills with him.
Rojas said that he’s been happy with the way Stanton has moved, and he noted that the 35-year-old has been asking for extra reps.
“He’s a veteran player,” Rojas said. “He knows himself. He doesn’t want to be a liability or compromise the team. He just wants to be out there and help the team win.
“He’s excited to show that he can do it.”
Stanton stopped playing the outfield due to a long history of lower-body injuries. With his mobility limited and his 23.8-second sprint speed among the slowest in baseball, the Yankees felt having him strictly DH would preserve his health.
But with Judge now recovering, putting Stanton in the outfield is the only way to get both big bats in the lineup. And with Stanton crushing 10 home runs over his last 25 games, the Yankees believe the risk is worth the potential reward.
“There’s always risk when you go play the game,” Boone said when asked about jeopardizing Stanton’s health. “We wouldn’t put him in a situation where we felt like there was big-time risk. That said, anything’s possible. I do feel like, physically, he’s in a good place to go out and do it on a limited basis, and that’s why we’ve kind of spent the week, 10 days, ramping it up and seeing how he’s doing with it.”
Boone added that Stanton’s lingering tennis elbows, which delayed the start of his season, haven’t become any more of a problem since the player began working out in the outfield. Rojas also said that Stanton has not complained about his elbows.
Some more Giancarlo Stanton in right field. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/uainhPSPD8
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) August 8, 2025
In an ideal world for the Yankees, Judge will progress through his throwing program quickly, making the need for Stanton to play the outfield non-existent once the captain is cleared for defensive action.
However, Stanton has expressed that he misses playing defense, and Yankee Stadium’s small right field doesn’t require him to cover much ground. The same applies to left field at Boston’s Fenway Park and Houston’s Daikin Park, destinations the Yankees will visit in September.
It sounds like Stanton will get a chance to prove that he’s still a viable outfielder on Saturday. From there, the Yankees will decide if it’s best to continue the experiment.
“It would be nice to at least have on a small level in play a little bit, just to add another layer of flexibility,” Boone said. “But we gotta feel like, physically, he’s able to do that and it’s not taking anything away from him, too.”
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