Watch: Yankees say Giancarlo Stanton is healthy even after brutal base-running display
The New York Yankees picked up a huge win against the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon, taking a 3-1 decision thanks to a strong start from Nestor Cortes and solo home runs from Jake Bauers and Gleyber Torres.
The one downside to the win came in the bottom of the third inning when designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home from deep centerfield, on a player where he did not look good running the bases.
It either looked like an injured player hobbling around the bases unable to reach full speed, or a healthy player that simply did not go at full speed by choice.
Have a look.
Stanton was never the fastest player in baseball, but he is usually faster than that. That looks like a player that is laboring and playing through something, especially as he did not even attempt to slide or kick it into an extra gear as he realized how close the play was going to be at home.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about the play after the game, and whether or not he agreed with the decision to send Stanton and if Stanton is 100% healthy.
Boone immediately responded that Stanton is healthy and has no issues, and that he agreed with the decision to send him because there were two outs and it was a ball hit into the gap. He said that Stanton simply didn't have a good turn around third and he looked like he was being a little extra careful.
When asked if that is Stanton's full speed at this point, Boone deflected and said he would need to watch the play again.
That answer does bring up another question: If Stanton actually is healthy, why would he need to be "careful" going around third base toward home?
Injuries have been a constant source of frustration for Stanton over the past few years and really limited his production. He can still hit for power, but his batting average and on-base percentage have both significantly dropped over the past two years.
He went from a .260-.280 hitter with a .360-.370 on-base percentage to a .200 hitter with a sub-.300 on-base percentage. Given his contract, it is becoming a concern for the Yankees.
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