Yankees are close to getting Brett Gardner back at the right time

Brett Gardner isn’t the biggest hitter in the Yankees lineup, but he’s an important piece for Aaron Boone. Fortunately, he’ll be back in the lineup soon.

The Yankees lineup hasn’t fallen apart without Brett Gardner in the leadoff spot, but the team will certainly welcome him back into his usual spot. Fortunately, Garner should be in position to return to the lineup this weekend.

Gardner is hitting a pretty pedestrian .258 for the season, but his numbers have improved significantly since a really slow start. Perhaps more importantly, he gives the Yankees a heavy dose of speed in the lineup. That allows him to steal bases on offense and save runs for the pitching staff from his spot in left field.

The team’s offense really hasn’t missed a beat since he went missing with knee soreness. Clint Frazier was called back up to the Bronx and has continued to produce really solid numbers at the major league level. He’s hitting .364 on the year in an admittedly very small sample size of just 11 at bats. Still, it’s possible Frazier will stick with the big league club based on what he’s shown during Gardner’s absence.

Boone’s other tactic to replace Gardner in the lineup is generally to allow Giancarlo Stanton to play in the outfield. He’s capable of providing adequate defense in the corner on occasion, but he’s much better suited to play as the team’s DH. Gardner, in sharp contrast, still comes in as a solidly above-average defender in left by most metrics.

The real question for Brian Cashman and company is just how much longer they can count on Gardner to be productive. He’s 34-years-old this season and his foot speed and bat speed are both on the decline. At some point, he’s going to struggle to turn on inside fastballs or run down balls in left field. When that happens, New York will need to make a strong transaction to fill his void in Boone’s lineup.

The aforementioned Frazier will certainly want to take his spot in the lineup, but he’ll need to hit at a really high level to justify the drop off in defense. Frazier is a good athlete in his own right, but he doesn’t have the speed to cover ground in the outfield like Gardner.

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That’s a question for another day though. As for now, Yankee fans can be happy that Gardner should be back in the lineup this weekend. His return will give the team another boost in their quest to capture an AL East crown.