Yankees: DJ LeMahieu’s absence good news but Giancarlo Stanton’s isn’t

At what point will Giancarlo Stanton “be a player” for the Yankees again, as he was supposed to be in the Texas Rangers series before he hit the IL? Who’s to say?

Of the Yanks’ two mysterious absences Tuesday, at least one is fully explained and for a very good reason, though.

Coming off a relaxing Monday without baseball, fans were incensed to realize upon the lineup’s release that neither Stanton nor DJ LeMahieu were in the pecking order.

Stanton, sure. Most people had expected he wouldn’t be eligible to leave the IL on his first possible day. That never happens. But LeMahieu? People started connecting dots, realizing he DH’d over the weekend and also had an off day Saturday, then panicking.

Luckily, we have only good news to report on LeMahieu…whose wife is having a baby, likely on this very day!

The Machine is at the hospital, presumably beeping slowly in a pattern while waiting for the child to arrive. Per reports, he might not be officially placed on the paternity list, considering his absence may only last the one day.

Get ready for another possible paternity list stint soon, though, because Luke Voit’s wife Tori is also reportedly due in the coming days. What a time to be alive. Don’t be shocked if you see Voit’s name scratched off the lineup card.

Also, don’t be surprised if this kickstart’s LeMahieu’s performance? Though he doesn’t seem to sweat or breathe, the man is still human, as are the rest of the Yankees. Real-life things affect their concentration in a game where a millisecond of spin can make all the difference.

Of course, as not angry as we promise to get about Stanton’s continued absence, we were delivered more of the same lukewarm milk from Boone on Tuesday, the day the slugger was supposed to be activated after an injury they weren’t even sure would merit an IL stint a week ago.

Is Giancarlo Stanton ready to play for the Yankees? Eh…

The Yankees played shorthanded against the Orioles, with Stanton technically perched on the bench. Retroactively, they placed him on the IL before heading down to Texas, and he’s been around the team ever since, celebrating two walk-offs and a no-hitter with his teammates boisterously.

There’s no need to rush him back in mid-May on a winning streak when tweaks have morphed into long-term issues in the past. We won’t get mad. Just noting that, once again, the target date was missed for whatever reason, and all we know is that the man is “close,” which he supposedly also was the day he hit the IL.

Rule out a stint in the outfield, folks.