Stanton getting comfortable in right -- and more so in box for Yankees

NEW YORK – It had been more than a year since Giancarlo Stanton last tracked a fly ball, spending the past several months rehabbing his ailing elbows to reclaim a spot in the Yankees’ batting order.

But with Aaron Judge temporarily shifted into the designated hitter role, Stanton has found himself back in the outfield. He’s loving every inning of it, a throwback to when his glove shared the stage with his bat.

“He’s a leader. This guy’s been one of the best in the game for quite a long time,” Judge said of Stanton, who homered in a four-hit, three-RBI performance on Tuesday night, helping the Yankees to a 9-1 victory over the Twins at Yankee Stadium. “It speaks volumes to his leadership and what he means to this team.”

Playing right field for the fourth time this season, Stanton crushed a Statcast-projected 447-foot homer, doubled and singled twice. Stanton has gone deep in the first two games against Minnesota, helping power the Yanks’ first series win since the Trade Deadline.

“It’s refreshing after missing so much time, because I contribute zero when I miss time,” Stanton said. “Anything I can do when I’m back is always nice.”

While the sight of Stanton saluting the Bleacher Creatures has been rare, the Yanks dusted off one of their most reliable recipes for victory in the modern era: Judge and Stanton homering in the same game.

The Yanks improved to 47-7 in games when both Judge and Stanton homer (including the postseason). Anthony Volpe added a three-run shot to give Carlos Rodón early breathing room.

Stanton’s drive to center off Thomas Hatch in the fifth inning marked his 441st career homer, surpassing Jason Giambi for sole possession of 44th place all time. It was also his 11th in 27 games since July 6, a span over which he’s slashing .341/.400/.736 (31-for-91).

“He’s controlling the strike zone, I feel like, as good as I’ve seen him,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s going up there with a good plan, and when he’s getting the pitch he’s looking for, he’s doing damage with it.”

Judge’s first-inning homer was his team-leading 38th and his first since returning from a stint on the injured list with a right flexor strain. Judge is continuing his throwing program and hopes to return to the outfield soon – potentially during the Yanks’ upcoming road trip, when they’ll visit the Cardinals and Rays starting Friday.

“It’s progressing. It’s all on what the trainers say,” Judge said. “Hopefully we can get back out there soon. I told Big G, ‘Don’t get comfortable in right field.’”

In the meantime, Stanton is enjoying the chance to remind fans – and teammates – that he can still chase balls down in the outfield. He does not move as fluidly as he did in 2017, when he was the National League’s Most Valuable Player as the Marlins’ right fielder, but the instincts remain sharp.

Stanton said he’s enjoying all of it – playing catch, taking grounders, even making a game out of tossing balls to fans wearing gloves.

“I try to not make them move it. That's always fun," Stanton said.

Rodón settled in following a shaky 31-pitch first inning that had Boone contemplating bullpen activity. The manager later admitted thinking, “Is he going to get out of the first inning?”

But the left-hander looked much different from the second inning on, navigating seven frames of one-run, one-hit ball. Rodón retired 15 straight after Royce Lewis’ run-scoring fielder’s choice in the first inning, and 21 of his last 22 batters faced.

“We were set up for disaster there, but we got through it,” Rodón said. “After the first inning, I attacked the strike zone and made them put the ball in play, and the defense played great.”

The Yankees have now beaten the Twins nine straight times. They are 125-44 against Minnesota since 2002, postseason included – a welcome boost for a club Judge says remains “confident” despite a summer slide.

“Things haven’t gone our way the past couple of weeks, but it’s never really changed how we feel about this group,” Judge said. “Our mission is still the same thing: Go back to the World Series and win it. We made it a little tough for ourselves the past couple of weeks, falling out of first place, but we have a lot of ballgames left to go do our thing.”