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Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t picked up where he left off in the playoffs.
The DH went 0 for 5, retired their last three batting games and heard boos after each of their last two plate appearances in the Yankees’ 3-2 loss in 10 innings on opening day in the Bronx Thursday.
Manager Aaron Boone said he didn’t think the poor reception from the crowd would impact the slugger.
“Why I’m so excited about the year that I think he’s going to have is that his process is so good, his game plan is so good and he’s diligent,” Boone said. “[Thursday] was a difficult day for him. I don’t care because he’s too talented and knows what he’s doing and what the league is trying to do to him. It will play out over time. The most important thing is to make sure it is posting all the time. “
Lucas Luetge returned to the majors on Wednesday when he was added to the Yankees’ roster – and he nearly defeated it on Opening Day.
Luetge was in the bullpen at the top of the ninth, but was not in the game.
Still, Luetge was happy to be with the Yankees, six years after his last appearance in the big leagues.
“It was just everything I had hoped for for five or six years, it finally came true,” he said before the game. “You get that feeling of joy again.”
Luetge, who last appeared in the majors in 2015 with the Mariners, won a position in the Yankees box thanks to a strong performance in spring training coupled with shoulder strain that put Justin Wilson on the list of injured to start the season.
In 10 ¹ / ₃ innings of play in the Grapefruit League, Luetge struck out 18 batters while giving up just two runs. He then spent the final days of camp anxiously waiting to see if he made the list before Boone finally called him Tuesday with the good news, allowing him to breathe a little easier.
“When you’re out of the game or the big leagues for so long, you realize how quickly it can get out of your way,” Luetge said. “While you are here it looks like you will be here forever. I kind of have that appreciation now, just to figure it out, look around the stadium, enjoy it, instead of just trying to look cool and act like you don’t care.
The return trip to the big leagues made Thursday’s opening all the more special for Luetge.
“There are times when you start to doubt yourself, because even when you’re having a good year, like I’ve been doing for the past two years, if you don’t get that call you’re like, ‘Am I wasting my time? ‘ Said Luetge. “When you are here, everything is fine, the money is good, life is good. When you’re not, it’s just a struggle to get up. So now enjoy what you are doing. A lot of people wish they could do it. Look around and enjoy it.
– Additional reporting by Greg Joyce
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