Stan’ down
Struggling Slugger K's 3 more times
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — No matter what the Yankees’ roster looks like after Friday’s trade deadline, they’ll need more from the slumping Giancarlo Stanton, who struck out three more times in Thursday’s 14-0 loss to Tampa Bay.
It continued a horrific streak for the DH, who is now in a 10for-57 slump with 24 strikeouts in his last 15 games.
With the impending arrival of Joey Gallo, the Yankees will have to decide whether to actually go through with the much-talked about plan of giving Stanton some outfield reps in the second half of the season.
Aaron Boone said Stanton could still play the field this weekend as the Yankees play the Marlins under National League rules, as well as possibly at Yankee Stadium if Aaron Judge needs a day at DH.
Judge crashed into the wall in foul territory in right in the seventh inning on Thursday. He finished the inning but was replaced in the eighth.
Boone said Judge was fine and was removed because of the lopsided score.
Kyle Higashioka declined to say if he’d been vaccinated in his first start since coming off the COVID-19 IL.
“I know you guys [in the media] have narrowed this down to where whoever says what is going to implicate the other person, so I’m just not going to give you that headline,’’ Higashioka said.
He added he felt fine in his return to the lineup, other than “getting our asses kicked.”
Luis Severino might have been the most effective pitcher for the Yankees on Thursday. He threw a three-inning simulated game and looked “really good,” according to Boone.
“His slider was really good, his cutter is becoming a really good pitch, and he had a good changeup,’’ Boone said.
The right-hander is expected to begin his rehab assignment in five days after his previous rehab assignment was stalled by a strained groin.
Severino is still coming back from last year’s Tommy John surgery.