With a series sweep against the Cardinals, the New York Yankees are finally back to winning ways. However, the limited availability of two of their best players remains a concern for Aaron Boone. While Judge is still playing DH, Stanton stayed out of the lineup for a third straight game due to soreness in his lower body. And skipper Boone does not want to risk another injury to the veteran slugger.

“Don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way, and especially going into an off day tomorrow,” Boone explained the decision to keep Stanton on the bench. The manager framed it as caution, not panic, and it was a way to safeguard a vital bat in a ballpark with a challenging outfield. To the manager, it was related to being “mindful and careful” with a star he trusts to carry the offense in the stretch run. But is there more to the story than meets the eye?

Clint Frazier, who played four years in the Bronx, went public with his skepticism, highlighting that it’s not just the injury keeping Stanton out of the lineup. “Giancarlo Stanton missing a third straight game only means one thing … he’s got to be hurt,” Frazier said. The former Yankee did not stop there, diving into his personal experiences with the Yankees’ approach to injuries. “To be on the bench two nights in a row means something’s going on … they drag out injuries, where they don’t tell you what’s going on. If you’re a superstar, your injury’s getting dragged out as long as you want it to.” Frazier’s statement carried the sting of frustration and the credibility of someone who had lived through the team’s notoriously mysterious injury updates.

This was not just idle speculation, either. Aaron Boone said that Stanton had struggled to recover after his stretch of games in right field, saying it was “a little tougher recovering after the last one” and highlighting the larger dimensions of Busch Stadium as part of the manager’s decision. Still, the contrast between his calm reassurance and Frazier’s skepticism established a clash of thought processes — one cautious, the other accusatory.

The outcome? A situation where fans are left to choose which one to believe: Aaron Boone’s steady “day-to-day” framing or Frazier’s blunt insistence that something larger is being hidden.

While the Stanton situation stirred debate, the Yankees also identified a much-needed spark elsewhere — one that not only lifted the team’s offense in the moment, but also etched a rookie alongside a legendary figure in the team’s history.

Ben Rice steps into Yankees lore with historic RBI feat.

On a night when the Yankees desperately needed a lift, it was Ben Rice who provided a performance for the ages. Driving in seven runs against the Cardinals, the star did not just carry the offense in a 12-8 slugfest — Rice also joined Lou Gehrig in an exclusive team in Yankee history. Before Rice, the only first baseman with multiple seven-RBI games in pinstripes was Gehrig, and the legend achieved the feat nine times. For a young star trying to carve out his place, such a company speaks volumes.

However, what made the night sweeter was the timing. The team has been sliding, struggling to find consistent offense amid injuries and lineup shuffles. Rice’s outburst — a three-run homer to provide the team the guide, a bases-clearing double, and a late RBI single — provided exactly the kind of momentum swing the Yankees had been desperate for. Aaron Judge’s milestone home run took a backseat to Rice’s heroics. In a season full of uncertainty, the star’s emergence not only gave fans a reason to cheer, also injected hope that fresh stars can keep the team afloat while their stars heal and recover.

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The team is standing at a vital crossroads, where Boone’s decisions and the locker room’s reaction could define the remainder of the Yankees’ season. Stanton’s role could be in flux; however, the larger issue lies in how the team unites or fractures under pressure.

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