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New York Yankees outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton went hitless in his first game back from a lengthy stint on the injured list on Sept. 15, but he bounced back in a big way on Thursday with a four-hit game, including a home run and a double. Stanton was one of six Yankees hitters to go yard on Thursday, as he was joined by DJ LeMahieu, Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardnerand Gleyber Torres, and the New York lineup looks back to full strength after being decimated by injuries for much of the season. The Yankees are still easing Stanton back into the lineup and hes likely to sit on Friday, but Stanton should play in almost every game next week and should be started in all fantasy lineups as a result.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka held the Blue Jays to three runs over seven innings on Thursday, striking out five with zero walks. Thursday marked the first time all season that Tanaka lasted more than five innings in a start, and his pitch count topped 90 for his third consecutive game after he averaged 67 pitches per start over his first six starts this year. Tanakas next start will likely come against the same Blue Jays team in Buffalo, where his home run problem (3.7% career home-run rate, over 4% this season) should be exacerbated.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge returned to the starting lineup Wednesday, but finds himself not in the starting nine Thursday. Manager Aaron Boone has discussed easing Judge back into the groove after calf ailments robbed him of over a month of the year. His absence allows the Yankees to role out an outfield of Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Clint Frazier, all of whom present considerable DFS appeal due to the matchup against Toronto and advantage of playing at Yankee Stadium. Theres little doubt that Judge will return to the lineup Friday versus Boston.
New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres is back among the starting nine for Thursdays contest versus the Blue Jays and right-hander Julian Merryweather, who will be followed by Chase Anderson. The start will mark the first for Torres since last Saturday, having been hampered by a quadriceps injury. While his power numbers have taken a startling dip in 2020 (just one home run), he has still produced a .371 on-base percentage, giving him season-long appeal in most formats. By batting fifth Thursday, he also owns high upside as part of a New York stack.
New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a trio of home runs against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. Wednesday was only the second time in Higashiokas major league career that he hit multiple home runs (his last was a two-homer game in August of last year), and the three home runs brought him up to four over 12 games this season. Higashioka has never flashed much power with a .157 ISO for his career, but he should be on the radar of fantasy managers as hes now played in nine of the Yankees last 15 games even with Gary Sanchez entrenched as the teams primary catcher.