It’s been a season of soaring highs and uneasy waiting in the Bronx. As Aaron Judge mashes his way into MVP conversations, Yankees fans have quietly counted the days, watching, waiting, and wondering when their towering power threat would return to the fold. For all the success this team has had, one major bat has remained conspicuously silent.

Giancarlo Stanton, the $325 million slugger and former MVP, is inching closer to a return. After being sidelined since March with severe tendinitis in both elbows, an ailment that has tested both patience and durability, Stanton is finally turning a corner.

Stanton, when healthy, is one of the most intimidating right-handed hitters in baseball. “He’s staying in Tampa the rest of the week and then back up here for potentially a rehab assignment next week,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Thursday, dropping the most concrete timeline yet on Stanton’s long-awaited comeback.

Although the Yankees are already leading the AL East, they are still hungry for more firepower and the return of Stanton, who launched 27 homers in 114 games last season despite lingering discomfort, will provide them just that.

While Stanton has averaged under 100 games a year since joining the Yankees in 2018, the upside when he’s healthy is undeniable. And make no mistake: this is no longer a vague timeline padded with cautious optimism. Boone’s statement signals concrete momentum.

Stanton has been actively hitting, running, and ramping up baseball activities in Tampa. A rehab assignment next week, if greenlit, would be the final hurdle before he reclaims his spot in the Yankees’ lineup.

The Yankees have held their own without him, boasting one of the league’s top slugging percentages and a 37-22 record. With Aaron Judge crushing at an MVP pace and Anthony Volpe emerging as a consistent spark atop the lineup, Giancarlo Stanton’s return isn’t just a luxury, it’s a potential game-changer.

Slotting Stanton’s power bat into the heart of the order could turn this already dangerous offense into a nightmare for opposing pitchers, especially as October looms.

As Stanton waits, Jazz and Williams step up in Yankees’ win

Just as Giancarlo Stanton eyes his long-awaited return, the Yankees are already beginning to reap the benefits of reinforcements arriving at the right time. With the AL East heating up and October dreams very much alive, Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium offered a glimpse of what this roster can look like when it starts getting whole again. Two familiar names, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Devin Williams, didn’t just return to action; they reclaimed their roles like they never left.

Chisholm, sidelined since late April with an oblique strain, reminded everyone why his energy and skillset are so vital. The 26-year-old wasted no time on his return, going 2-for-3 with a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh and a highlight-reel backhand play at third base.

“Honestly, I pictured a 3-for-3,” Chisholm told reporters postgame. “But I’ll take a 2-for-3.” His smooth transition back to third came as DJ LeMahieu held down second base. “I really thought I was done at third base, not going to lie to you. I didn’t think I was going to see it. I thought I left my career over there with a good stamp,” he admitted. “But I guess we’re back again… we’ve got to shine again.”

Meanwhile, Devin Williams quietly resumed his closer duties after Luke Weaver exited with a surprise hamstring injury Sunday in L.A. The right-hander stepped in Tuesday and shut the door in the ninth against Cleveland to preserve a 3–2 win, earning his first save since April.

“I was very blindsided by the fact that happened,” Weaver said of his injury. Williams had struggled earlier this season but is settling back into form now, going scoreless in 13 of his last 15 appearances. “He’s got that edge back on the mound,” said Aaron Boone.

If Chisholm brought the spark, Williams brought the calm. And for a Yankees team trying to keep pace at the top, both arrivals couldn’t have come at a better time.