The New York Yankees dropped their second straight game to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night, falling 5-4 at Yankee Stadium. Gerrit Cole surrendered four runs for the first time since returning from Tommy John surgery. It was another game for the Yankees without Aaron Judge in the lineup.
Judge is still awaiting a final diagnosis on a bone bruise near his rib cage, and the lineup that took the field Wednesday could not absorb that absence.
What happened earlier that afternoon, though, offered something the Yankees a reason for optimism.
Boone Provides Stanton Update
Giancarlo Stanton took live at-bats at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, for the first time since straining his right calf while running the bases against the Houston Astros on April 24.
The contact was limited. Mostly soft ground balls to the left side with one foul ball. But for a slugger sidelined for six weeks, stepping back into the box and seeing live arms was the point.
Manager Aaron Boone came away encouraged.
“Good to get the reps and get outside and do that,” Boone said. “Good day. I think we’re going to do that again Saturday with Giancarlo.”
Stanton is scheduled for another live BP session on Saturday. If the calf continues to cooperate, a rehab assignment could follow. When Stanton is in the lineup, pitchers have to respect the kind of power that can reshape a game with one swing. That threat has been missing for over a month.
GettyGiancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after his home run against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Fenway Park on April 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Dominguez Closing In for the Yankees As Well
Stanton was not the only encouraging sign Wednesday. Jasson Dominguez also participated in the session and is on track to start a rehab stint in the minors as early as Friday.
He has been out since May 7, when he collided with the left-field wall and left the field on a cart with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. He had only been back with the big league club for 10 days when it happened, recalled from Triple-A after Stanton and Luis Gil went down.
What Judge’s Absence Has Exposed
The backdrop to all of this is Judge.
Higher-powered imaging is still needed to determine the full scope of the bone bruise near his upper rib cage. He has avoided the injured list so far, but there is no return timeline. Wednesday’s game showed the cost. Cole gave up three home runs after opening 2026 with 12 and two-thirds scoreless innings, and the lineup could not pick him up. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero connected on solo shots.
“It sucks not to have him here…but at the same time, we’re still a team. I feel like we have really great players on this team, you know what I mean. Judge is great and everything, but he couldn’t do it by himself. ” Chisholm said.
GettyThe injury news on Aaron Judge sounds ominous.
Final Word for the Yankees
Wednesday was a loss on the scoreboard, but a key step forward off the field.
Stanton faced live pitching. Dominguez is days from rehab games. Saturday will tell them more.
For now, the slugger is back in the box. That counts for something.
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