Yankees are playing with fire with Giancarlo Stanton
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Giancarlo Stanton has been conspicuously absent from the Yankees' lineup in each of the first two games in St. Louis, and New York manager Aaron Boone detailed why Saturday.
Let’s take a closer look at my MLB picks for August 17. Yankees vs Cardinals best bet: Aaron Judge Over 1.5 total bases (-125) Aaron Judge hasn’t quite returned to the peak of his powers following an injury absence, but he sure appears to be getting close.
The Yankees could be getting some pitching help soon, as Jonathan Loaisiga received an update on his playing status.
Stanton has carried the offense for weeks, hitting .300 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs over his last 30 games. His .586 slugging percentage and .949 OPS in that span have made him indispensable. The team’s record makes the point even sharper: the Yankees are 57–28 in games he starts this season but just 13–15 without him.