Back in the Yankees' lineup, it's showtime for Giancarlo Stanton at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES – Maybe if the Yankees were in, say, Cincinnati this weekend instead of in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, Giancarlo Stanton’s rehab stint is still going.
Somehow, Josh Donaldson needed 20 minor league plate appearances and possibly two forms of identification to get back in the Yankees’ lineup.
Stanton went to the plate four times Tuesday at Class AA Somerset, and he’ll be facing Clayton Kershaw next.
But, hey, this is Stanton’s hometown.
And this is Yankees-Dodgers, still a rare marquee event in the regular season. Plus, you’d have to be close to 50 years old to remember their last World Series clash.
It’s a series built around star players, with several stars of the entertainment world sure to be among the sellout crowds at Dodger Stadium for these three games.
The Yankees have their two best starters lined up, with Luis Severino going Friday and ace Gerrit Cole pitching Saturday, against Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, JD Martinez and company.
Under a crush of pitching injuries this year, the Dodgers’ starters have an ERA of 4.40 and their bullpen’s 4.54 ERA ranks 26th among MLB teams while the Yankees’ relief corps is tops at 2.86.
And the Dodgers (34-23) remain atop the NL West by percentage points, with a record that mirrors the Yankees (34-24), trailing the Rays and Orioles in the ultra-competitive AL East.
This is the scene that Stanton steps back into, complete with a pre-and-post game media scene and a hyperactive crowd that will make it feel like a playoff event.
History: What were the best Yankees-Dodgers World Series matchups of all time? We rank all 11 here
Yankees' star power: Giancarlo Stanton & Aaron Judge
On this glittering stage, no one will be more in the spotlight than Aaron Judge, taking dead-aim again at a 60-plus homer season, batting .342 with a 1.356 OPS and 12 homers in 21 games since coming off the IL (hip strain).
Yet, this was a natural – a perfect time for Stanton to swing back into Aaron Boone’s lineup, which should also have Donaldson in there for the first time since April 5.
Both players had hamstring injuries, with Stanton exiting on April 15, with an .854 OPS, four homers and 11 RBI in his first 13 games.
Around mid-June, Stanton should resume making a couple of starts per week in the outfield, a plan endorsed by both player and team to best keep him on the field.
But that subject, keeping Stanton on the field, has been an ongoing frustration.
This time it was decelerating into second base, on a double, that caused a Grade 2 strain, costing Stanton a month-and-a-half.
“The disbelief and disappointment at this stage is hard to put into words,’’ said Stanton, following his seventh IL stint in six seasons as a Yankee. “The team relies on me, and I can’t have this continue to happen, (putting) us in a spot that we weren’t prepared for.’’
Giancarlo Stanton's All-Star swing
Yes, there's some rust to be knocked off Stanton's swing, and he might need a couple of weeks to find a rhythm.
Or he could just lock it in, on pure adrenaline, raw power and talent, and that special feeling of being back in L.A., a few minutes' drive - depending on the gridlock traffic - from where he attended high school in Sherman Oaks.
Stanton's All-Star return to Dodger Stadium last year was made even more memorable by his two-run homer off the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin - a cannon-shot that traveled 457 feet into the left field bleachers, with his father and nearly 50 other family members and friends in the stands.
In accepting the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP award after the American League's victory, Stanton mentioned that he'd "always sit out there in left field'' at Dodger Stadium growing up, and "to hit one out there...is incredible to me.''
Maybe just four plate appearances, dozens of swings off the high-velocity machine, and Dodger Stadium's atmosphere are all Stanton needs to be ready. It's showtime.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Giancarlo Stanton back in Yankees lineup with big expectations
