Yankees may drop struggling Stanton in order

NEW YORK -- As he rides out a slow start in pinstripes, Giancarlo Stanton said that he understands why boos continue to rain down upon him at Yankee Stadium, adding that it has been "pretty simple" to tune out the negativity.
"I worry about the positive things, even if it's not very many things," Stanton said after the Yankees' 9-1 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday evening. "That's all you can do."
Though the reigning National League MVP Award winner went hitless in a two-game Interleague set against his former club, including an 0-for-4 performance from the designated hitter spot in Tuesday's blowout, Stanton said that his confidence remains intact.
"If you're in there with a lack of confidence, you might as well go sit down anyways," Stanton said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has batted Stanton third in all 16 games this season, but Boone said after Tuesday's game that Stanton may be dropped in the order for the upcoming four-game series against the Blue Jays, which begins on Thursday.
"Depending on how their pitching lines up, I might flirt with splitting different guys up and stuff, but not moving him down too far," Boone said. "He's one at-bat away from getting it locked back in, and the last thing you want is him down in the order getting pitched around.
"He's too premier of a player and an at-bat away, in my eyes, from locking it in. I might juggle with the top five or six, but as far as moving him down significantly, no."

Through 16 games as a Yankee, the difference between Stanton's home and road performance has been staggering. In eight games at Yankee Stadium, Stanton has managed three hits in 35 at-bats (.086), with two runs, a homer, three RBIs, three walks and 20 strikeouts.
Stanton has more resembled himself in eight games away from The Bronx, batting .323 (10-for-31) with seven runs, three doubles, a triple, two homers, seven RBIs, four walks and nine strikeouts.
"That's a matter of time and just getting settled in," Boone said. "He'll get it rolling here and eventually the league will pay for some of his early struggles."
The boo-birds were out early on Tuesday. Stanton grounded into a first-inning double play, popped out after hacking at a 3-0 pitch in the third inning, then struck out in his final two plate appearances.
"Keep working. It's early," Stanton said. "There's not too many [positives], but you've got to own up to it and understand. Find a way to get better. Find a way to get out of it."