Stanton went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and two strikeouts in Friday's loss to the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton sat out Wednesday's series finale against Toronto prior to Thursday's scheduled off day, but he provided the Yankees' only run support during his return to the lineup Friday. The 31-year-old has two home runs and a team-leading 11 RBI this year despite hitting just .182 in his first 11 games.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Yankees will have an off day Thursday, so manager Aaron Boone likely just wanted to build in two days of rest for Stanton by having him sit Wednesday. Since swatting a grand slam April 5 against the Orioles, Stanton has been stuck in a power drought with only one extra-base hit (a double) in 28 at-bats over his subsequent seven starts.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored Friday in a loss to the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

The slugger produced the Yankees' first runs of the contest with a two-run single in the third inning and subsequently crossed the plate on an Aaron Hicks home run. Stanton leads New York with seven RBI on the campaign, though he has just one homer through 25 at-bats. He's been limited to DH duties thus far this season, though he has been getting practice reps in left field, per Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger.

Stanton went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Monday's 7-0 win over Baltimore.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton launched his first home run of the season in exciting fashion Monday, drilling a 471-foot grand slam as part of a five-run fifth for the Yankees. He's now 1-for-12 on the season with four strikeouts.

Stanton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

EDGE Analysis

Aaron Judge will get a turn at designated hitter in place of Stanton, who manager Aaron Boone said is receiving a routine rest day, per Marly Rivera of ESPN.com. According to Rivera, Boone indicated that he hopes to avoid playing Stanton in five games in a row early on during the season, and the skipper viewed Sunday's contest as a good opportunity to build in a breather for the slugger. Stanton, who is expected to start in all three games of the Yankees' upcoming series with Baltimore, went 0-for-8 with two walks and three strikeouts over the team's first two contests of the season.

Stanton is no longer expected to spend any time in the outfield during spring training, though he still expects to log some time there during the regular season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton had previously expressed a desire and expectation to get some defensive reps this spring, but manager Aaron Boone has been noncommittal about that prospect, and it now appears that the team has no plans to allow the slugger to risk injury by playing the field in Grapefruit League games. Despite Stanton's clear interest in playing defense at some point in the campaign, it wouldn't be surprising if he's limited strictly to DH duties this year.

Stanton indicated Wednesday that he plans to spend some time playing in the outfield before the end of spring training, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton has been tabbed the Yankees' everyday DH for the coming campaign, but the veteran nonetheless hopes to get a chance to play the field during Grapefruit League play. Manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal when discussing such a scenario, saying that those discussions have yet to take place and that Stanton could "possibly" get some outfield reps. Given the slugger's recent injury history, it wouldn't be surprising for the organization to play it safe in spite of Stanton's wishes.

Stanton won't play in his first spring training game until at least Wednesday against Toronto, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton is healthy entering the start of exhibition play, but the team is opting to hold him out for the time being. He could debut Wednesday night against the Blue Jays, though he'll likely continue to be eased into action over the course of the spring. Stanton is projected to primarily function as the team's DH this season due largely to an injury history that has limited him to only 41 games over the past two seasons.

Stanton could still play some outfield this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

General manager Brian Cashman suggested in October that Stanton would be purely a designated hitter going forward, but the team may be changing plans. Stanton's constant health issues mean the designated hitter role would seem to suit him well, though he's graded out as a decent outfielder over the course of his career, and manager Aaron Boone suggested Tuesday that playing the outfield occasionally could help him stay in shape. Stanton won't be outfield-eligible in standard setups to open the season, as he didn't play the field a single time last year, but it sounds as though there's at least a chance he picks up eligibility midseason in some leagues.

Stanton has scaled back his weightlifting this offseason in an effort to stay healthy, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stanton has spent a combined 202 days on the injured last combined across the last two seasons with knee and hamstring injuries. While the shift in offseason work may not change Stanton's ability stay healthy, it's encouraging that both he and the Yankees' training staff are looking for different ways to help him remain on the field. Even with the recent frustrating campaigns, Stanton flashed his power upside during the Yankees' 2020 postseason run by slugging six home runs in only 31 plate appearances.