Some fans of the New York Yankees might consider this the perfect time for oft-injured slugger to return to manager Aaron Boone's lineup. After all, the team could not find a way to score runs in Boston during last week's sleep at the hands of the arch rival Red Sox.
Boone and the fans will have to forgive a few members of the current roster if they have mixed feelings about Stanton coming back to the Bronx. He is going to get regular at-bats at the designated hitter spot. That's going to put a squeeze on several players who have been key pieces fo the puzzle for the Yankees in the earlygoing.
Boone has mentioned that another injury could easily clear up any lineup decisions he has to make upon Stanton's return. Fortunately for the players on the roster, that injury has not popped up as of yet. That's why Boone has tough choices to make. The following three players are going to see their playing time diminish with Stanton back in the fold.
J.C. Escarra
J.C. Escarra was one of the team's best stories coming out of Spring Training. The idea that a former Uber driver could force his way onto an MLB roster sounds more like the plot of a Disney film than a reality.
His story could stop short as Stanton comes back into the mix. Escarra is the current backup catcher but it's possible that Ben Rice could shift to that role to make sure he continues to get steady at-bats. While Escarra has been a quality backup, New York would not feel the loss of a hitter with a .230 batting average and only one home run on the season.
The good news for Escarra is that he's shown enough this season to merit a backup catcher spot in the majors. The bad news is that it might not be in New York. He'll be sweating bullets until the organization gives him concrete information about his future. Stanton's return could force him to return to the minor or find a new team to play for.
Ben Rice
Unlike Escarra, Ben Rice has shown too much at the major league level to be sent back to the minors. He's going to find at-bats at multiple position for the rest of the season. The versatily to play first, catch or serve as a DH makes him an easier guy for Boone to fit into the lineup.
That does not mean Rice is going to keep playing every day. Every time he starts it will require Boone to sit a more estbalished veteran. If he is the designated hitter it means that Stanton is on the bench. The same can be said at catcher for Austin Wells. At first, he'd need to be played at the expense of Paul Goldschmidt.
It's possible that shifting Rice into more of a platoon role with Goldschmidt and Stanton can help boost his efficiency. He's shown flashes of brilliance this year but his overall numbers are mediocre. He might not get as much playing time moving forward but a higher percentage of his at-bats should come against right-handed pitching. Time will tell if he can take advantage of those superior matchups.
Paul Goldschmidt
Paul Goldschmidt as been one of the best free agent signings of the offseason through the middle of June. His production has surpassed all reasonable expectations the team's front office could have placed on the 37-year-old.
His advanced age means it's smart for the Yankees to resist the temptation to play him too often in the regular season. Expect Goldschmidt to get more days off than he'd like when Stanton comes back. It will be an easy decision for Boone to swap Rice for Goldschmidt whenever the team comes up against an elite right-handed starter.
That might serve to depress Goldschmidt's raw regular season numbers but it should increase the likelihood of him being healthy and at his best when the postseason rolls around. That's what should really be important for both the Yankees and Goldschmidt at this stage of his career.
Stanton's return is probably only a temporary issue
The unspoken truth about Stanton is that the odds favor him heading back to the Injured List later this year. That's not the reality the Yankees want to face but it's a safe bet given the slugger's checkered injury history.
That's why none of the players on this list need to be overly concerned with Stanton's impending return. There should be more than enough playing time to go around as the marathon of the regular season churns along. Each player should be focused in on making the most of their opportunities in an effort to secure their place on the Yankees' postseason roster.