Somerset was the sight of some big-league action on Tuesday night when the Yankees had several players at their Double-A facility in New Jersey to begin rehab assignments.
Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson suited up for the Double-A Somerset Patriots in their 3-1 loss to the Portland Sea Dogs. Both players have been working their way back from injury, with Donaldson having already had a rehab game last week in Triple-A.
Donaldson went 1-for-4 with a single on Tuesday night for the Patriots and Stanton went 0-for-3 with a walk. Donaldson sounded optimistic before the game that he would be joining the Yankees later this week if Tuesday went well, according to the New York Post.
Donaldson played all nine innings at third base and Stanton was the designated hitter. When the slugger returns to the Yankees. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters last week that he still eyed getting Stanton into the outfield once he’s healthy.
Stanton had been out since April 15 with a hamstring injury he suffered while reaching second base and Tuesday marked the first time that he faced live pitches since then.
“Not the ideal six weeks,” Stanton told reporters on Tuesday. “But I’m here now. Very close to being back to where I want to be.”
Getting Stanton back into the lineup would go a long way for the Yankees’ offense, which has picked up recently. The Yankees have won their last four straight games going into Wednesday’s series finale with the Seattle Mariners.
Stanton had four home runs, 11 RBIs and a batting average of .269 at the time of the injury. Donaldson had been struggling a bit when he went down on April 5 with a hamstring strain.
He had started a rehab assignment with Somerset later that month, but had a setback that slowed his recovery. Donaldson had been batting .125 for the Yankees when he originally was hurt.
However, he told reporters before Tuesday’s game that he wasn’t feeling any extra pressure.
“I think every day that you wear a uniform, you have a unique opportunity to go out there and compete and earn your position,” Donaldson said. “I’ve never been someone that’s really been given anything, so for me, it’s not abnormal to go out there and earn it as well.”
Boone has called Donaldson an everyday player in the past and reiterated that last week when a reporter asked the Yankees skipper about the infielder’s role once he returned to the lineup.
