Yankees’ veterans starting to make strides at the plate – The Denver Post

As Anthony Rizzo returned to the Yankees’ dugout following a home run on Sunday, his teammates initially gave him the silent treatment. It was a fitting response for a player whose quiet bat had not hit a home run in over two months.

Rizzo produced a third-inning solo shot in a win over Kansas City for his first home run since May 20. The much-needed dinger was the highlight of Rizzo’s first four-hit game of the season. He also scored three runs, drove in two and hit a double.

“It’s easy to look at it and say I’m drowning and I’m in the water, but I just kept saying I’m on the boat and just waiting for the winds to pick up and the sails to set,” said Rizzo, who hit .182/.274/.218 in the 45 games between longballs. “You’ve got to have fun with it. I think the reaction from the dugout and the guys shows that through a down [time], you’ve got to try to find highs as far as keeping yourself up, staying positive. You got to keep working.”

The Yankees are hoping that Rizzo’s Sunday outburst — which helped complete a sweep of the lowly Royals — marks the start of a hot streak for the first baseman, who is hitting .253/.338/.398 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI overall. If so, Rizzo would become the team’s latest veteran hitter to show signs of life following a prolonged slump.

For example, DJ LeMahieu has quietly gone 13-for-40 (.325) with a .372 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage over his last 11 games. That span includes four extra-base hits and a Saturday home run, the infielder’s first since June 13.

Prior to that stretch, LeMahieu hit .158/.235/.237 over his last 22 games. The former batting champion is slashing just .233/.297/.375 this year.

Even before replacing hitting coach Dillon Lawson with Sean Casey, the Yankees have attributed LeMahieu’s struggles to his load at the plate. Aaron Boone said that a “little adjustment” has allowed LeMahieu to be more “explosive” and “dynamic” lately. Recent results back that up.

“Just trying to simplify, but also staying loose and aggressive,” LeMahieu said. “Some stuff I was working on right before the break, I kind of took it into the break and just was really excited to get back after the break and get after it. Now I feel like I’m on the right track.”

Giancarlo Stanton is another seasoned vet who could say the same.

While the slugger is only hitting .222 since the second half began, he has six homers and 13 RBI over his last 11 games. That includes four RBI and 10 HR in nine games since the break ended.

Stanton is now hitting .207/.281/.457 with 13 home runs and 33 RBI over 50 games.

Whether it be Rizzo’s Sunday or Stanton and LeMahieu’s 11-game stretches, these are small sample sizes we’re talking about, and the production has come against a handful of subpar pitching staffs. However, the lineup will take whatever it can get with Aaron Judge still on the mend, as the Yankees have the worst average, third-worst on-base percentage, fourth-worst wRC+ and sixth-worst slugging percentage since losing the reining MVP to a torn ligament in his right big toe on June 3.

Judge participated in a simulated game on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

Even with their sweep over the Royals, the Yankees have been a sub-.500 team without their captain, going 18-22 during Judge’s current stint on the injured list. The Bombers also experienced an offensive drought while going 4-6 when a hip injury sidelined Judge earlier this season.

Judge’s absences have made it clear that the Yankees, tied with Boston for last place, need to add to their lineup before next week’s trade deadline. But even multiple moves won’t save a season that still has New York in the Wild Card race.

For that to happen, the Yankees are also going to need the likes of Rizzo, LeMahieu and Stanton to hit like they have over the last few days and weeks. The team has maintained confidence in the trio being able to do that, with Boone often citing the former All-Stars’ track records.

“It’s been a bit of a grind for sure, as a team and personally,” LeMahieu said. “But I think it’s going to make us stronger in the long run, personally and as a team. I truly believe that it’s going to make us better in the long run.”

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