Stanton has been on fire lately, but has spent three straight games on the bench. Boone says his defensive workload has left him exhausted.

The New York Yankees took down the St. Louis Cardinals 8-4 yesterday, achieving their first series sweep in more than a month. Despite his hot streak, Giancarlo Stanton did not start in any of the three games. Manager Aaron Boone explained that Stanton has been worn out from playing defense in previous games and now needs time to recover physically.

Aaron Judge has been dealing with a hand injury, allowing him to hit but not play defense. As a result, if the Yankees want both Judge and Stanton in the lineup together, Stanton has to take a defensive spot. In the last series against the Twins, Stanton started all three games in right field and was outstanding at the plate, collecting 7 hits and 4 RBIs in 13 at-bats, including a double and two home runs.

However, when the Yankees began their road trip on the 16th for a three-game series against the Cardinals, Stanton was absent from the starting lineup each time, only appearing as a pinch hitter on the 18th. While some speculated that his elbow injury might have flared up again, manager Boone clarified that the real issue was Stanton's inability to handle the fatigue from consecutive defensive appearances, so he was given time off to recover. As for whether he will start against the Rays on the 20th, both Boone and Stanton have yet to comment.