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New York Yankees fans, now might be the time to look away and inch closer to pressing the panic button.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is out of Tuesday night's lineup against the Cincinnati Reds. Manager Aaron Boone instead penciled in young slugger Ben Rice as his DH.
Boone also sat second baseman DJ LeMahieu and left fielder Jasson Domínguez. Those at Great American Ball Park will instead see Oswald Peraza at second base and an outfield alignment of Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge.
Back to Stanton, though, as his absence is especially notable. The five-time All-Star recorded seven hits and an RBI in his first 23 at-bats after returning from tennis elbow in both arms.
The Yankees had not announced an injury designation for Stanton as of publication. There have also been no credible reports about the 2017 NL MVP suffering any setback.
Given that Stanton remains a potent power hitter on a 13-year, $325 million contract, one would expect him to play close to regularly. Instead, Boone used him as a pinch-hitter in last Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels and sat him on Saturday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles.
Stanton has struck out eight times in his last 11 at-bats, including three in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Reds.
The slumping Yankees entered play at 45-33 with a two-game advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.
More must-reads:
- Yankees not close to done adding ahead of trade deadline
- Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
NASCAR driver disqualified after Truck Series race at IRP
What was a third-place effort for Stewart Friesen in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park turned out to be all for naught. Friesen's No. 52 Toyota was disqualified in post-race inspection for failing front height measurement, relegating him to a last-place (35th) finish. The stage points he earned were also stripped. Friesen qualified 21st, but drove into the top five and was running second in the closing laps before he was passed by Corey Day. Friesen's team, Halmar Friesen Racing, issued a statement following the announcement. "The Halmer Friesen Racing team will be going to the NASCAR Appellate Board after our third-place disqualification in the TSport 200 race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25," the team said. "We believe the post-race heights disqualification was caused by a part malfunction that occurred during the race by circumstances out of our control." The DQ drops Friesen to 11th in the regular season standings, but the 42-year-old driver is already locked into the Craftsman Truck Series playoffs by his win at Michigan International Speedway on June 7. Layne Riggs won Friday's race at IRP. The Truck Series will return to action at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8.
Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
Connor Zilisch drops not-so-subtle hint about his NASCAR future
Connor Zilisch is the hottest prospect in NASCAR at the moment, and it's widely speculated that he could move up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026. The 19-year-old driver seemed to confirm his NASCAR future during a news conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday. "Next year, I think my best chance to win a race would be on a road course," Zilisch said. "The practice starts now, and that's going to be good for me." Zilisch is in the midst of his rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series season, where he's won a series-leading four races and is second in the standings despite missing the May 3 race at Texas Motor Speedway. When it was announced that Daniel Suarez would leave Trackhouse Racing at the conclusion of the 2025 season, Zilisch — who is a Trackhouse development driver — immediately became the heavy favorite to take over Suarez's Cup Series ride. Zilisch has already made three Cup Series starts with Trackhouse this season, with a best finish of 11th coming at EchoPark Speedway on June 28. His next Cup Series start is slated for Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen — the same track where he won in his Xfinity Series debut in 2024. Zilisch has already proved himself to be a road course ace, and while winning as a Cup Series rookie is difficult, it wouldn't be surprising if his first Cup win came at a road course in 2026.
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