Cashman: Stanton unlikely to return in July

LONDON -- Giancarlo Stanton is facing another lengthy absence from the Yankees' lineup, with general manager Brian Cashman stating on Thursday that the slugger is unlikely to reappear in a big league game before August.

Stanton was forced to exit early in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Blue Jays and was diagnosed with a sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament of his right knee, stemming from a headfirst slide into third base.

"I would say it's safer to look into August," Cashman said. "I don't want to say it's unlikely in July, but the sweet spot would be August in terms of not getting burned. If it's sooner than that, I'll take it."

The 29-year-old Stanton has played in just nine games this season, having been sidelined after the Yankees' third game of the year with a left biceps strain.

While rehabbing that injury, Stanton sustained a left shoulder strain and then a left calf strain before returning to the Yankees' lineup on June 18. He was 7-for-23 (.304) with a double, a homer and seven RBIs over six games before the new injury.

“I’m frustrated for him, knowing how much he’s worked to get back and the couple of setbacks that he’s had along the way in getting back,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It felt like he was starting to get in the groove a little bit with us. We have to deal with it."

The Yankees replaced Stanton on the active roster with outfielder Mike Tauchman, with Cashman saying that Tauchman's defense at all three outfield positions gave him the edge over Clint Frazier among the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre squad.

"Tauchman covers left, center and right in an above-average defensive way," Cashman said. "This [London] ballpark has a lot of foul territory. We felt the corners would be best served in having somebody that can go get the ball and go a long way."

Cashman said that Frazier using the full 72 hours to report to Triple-A after his demotion was not a factor in the decision.

"

No, the 72-hour issue is something that they have their right," Cashman said. "Some take it, some don't. It's their legal obligation and their negotiated right. His send-down was tougher than most because of how good he performed here and how much he helped that club. If he needed the extra time to process being the odd man out, I was OK with that, personally. It had nothing to do with him not being selected to be here."

Both clubs will pick up a 26th man on the roster for the London Series, and Cashman said that the Yankees selected infielder/outfielder Thairo Estrada over Tyler Wade. Catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-hander Chance Adams have also made the trip to London as standby additions.

"They weren't easy choices," Cashman said. "I felt like we were at the end of Spring Training, where we were really wrestling about a lot of quality individuals that you could pick."