Yankees playing dangerous game during Giancarlo Stanton's best stretch in pinstripes

Seemingly every single night, my brain stretches and bounces back and forth between believing that the New York Yankees cannot, under any circumstances, sit a scorching Giancarlo Stanton down, then wondering if their current on-and-off plan is exactly what he needs to keep fresh.

For the first time since the dawn of time (Aug. 2-3 of 2023), Stanton was penciled in as the starter in right field for two consecutive games this week, both victories over the Minnesota Twins (and both games in which Stanton went tremendously yard). On Wednesday, the Yankees tried it once more, completing the whole three-game series. Though Aaron Judge believes he is coming back to right field soon enough — perhaps even in St. Louis this weekend — he has now joined Stanton among the Yankees who must be kept safe and preserved rather than unleashed.

That has led to some semi-awkward feelings permeating the fan base. Stanton does not sprint the way he used to (to say the least), but has held his own in right field (and held up when necessary). He is scorching hot and dependable under pressure. Removing him from the lineup typically makes the lineup worse — unless, again, the periodic annoying pauses the Yankees are putting on his playing time are what's keeping him effective.

And "effective" is an understatement. After posting four hits, including the nearly-450-foot 441st home run of his career on Tuesday, Stanton has his highest OPS in any 30-game period with the Yankees, just a few months after most feared that a pair of tennis elbows would put an end to his career. The Yankees have to do whatever they can to both bubble wrap him and keep him going.

Is there a secret sauce? Or is every day from this point forward a dangerous (and necessary!) roll of the dice?

Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton soaring to new heights with recent outfield reps. But how many is too many?

Before Judge's worrisome injury opened up a right field vacancy, Stanton missed one game against the Cubs pre-All-Star break, then one on turf in Toronto (while Judge DH'd, harboring the flexor strain that would soon sideline him). After Judge's admission, Stanton has missed just one home game against the Rays and one in Texas, on the heat and on unsteady artificial ground.

The amount of grousing about Stanton riding the pine and removing his bat from the lineup hasn't actually matched the amount it's actually happened. Now, the Yankees must juggle two all-world sluggers, one of whom is on an historic heater, and the other who is Aaron Judge. Can Stanton handle a road outfield more expansive than the one in the Bronx? Should the Yankees even bother finding out? Shouldn't Judge be the one to get an extra off day in St. Louis instead? And should the team even fear anything right now, given that their bold outfield choices have only heated Stanton's bat up further?

Lineup construction isn't for the faint of heart. But right now, it's clear that the right amount of Stanton is as much Stanton as they can stomach.