Giancarlo Stanton turns in solid first day during Yankees return but rues missed opportunity

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.After 70 games without him, Giancarlo Stanton finally was back in the middle of the Yankees’ suddenly flailing lineup.Stanton garnered what he described as an “awesome” standing ovation in his initial at-bat in the first inning during his long-awaited 2025 debut, and the slugger smacked two hits in four plate appearances during the Yanks’ 1-0 loss in 11 innings Monday night to the Angels.“Great to be back.

Obviously, [I] want to win, but it’s good to be back out there,” Stanton said after the game.“It was a solid first day, and I’ll take it into tomorrow.”Stanton, who had been sidelined since the start of spring training with tendon issues in both elbows, ripped a single to left in the fourth inning and a leadoff double to left in the ninth off Angels closer Kenley Jansen.Jasson Domínguez replaced Stanton as a pinch runner, but the Yanks didn’t score for a second straight game, finishing 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position.Despite his multihit game, Stanton pointed out that he had one of those failures to come through with a hard grounder to third to end the first inning against Angels starter José Soriano.“Wrong time [for the hits], needed the one in the first,” he said.

“But it was good; I squared up some balls, squared up some high velocity, and that was important.”Before the game, manager Aaron Boone had said that Stanton “had a really good work day” on Sunday, adding he was “so excited to get the big boy back.”The 35-year-old designated hitter had gone 3-for-11 in a three-game minor league rehab stint last week with Double-A Somerset — with a double, four RBIs, a walk and three strikeouts.“He’s built some good momentum here over the last couple of months with it.The strength in his hands and things like that have returned in a good way,” Boone said.

“Certainly som...