Dun dun… dun dun… dun dun dun dun… That ominous Jaws theme song is playing in the Bronx, and it’s not because of a shark attack. It’s the fear of surgery, the uncertainty of Stanton’s future, and the ripple effect it’s sending through the Yankees’ lineup as their injuries continue.

 Their slugging designated hitter, Giancarlo Stanton, is out with tendinitis in both elbows. PRP injections, they say, are a last-ditch effort to avoid surgery. But that uncertainty hangs in the air, and the Yankees face a daunting, season-defining question: what happens to the DH spot?

The team’s captain and offensive star, Aaron Judge, has expressed a strong desire to play the outfield. But if Stanton is hurt, would Judge have to DH? Manager Aaron Boone spoke to the matter and hinted at the team’s intentions.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll see,” Boone said cautiously.“I mean, it just depends. People have asked me, will Judge DH a lot early on? I don’t necessarily see that with the makeup of our roster.” Boone’s comments indicate he’s not eager to make Judge a full-time DH, because of the team’s defensive needs. Judge’s preference to play in the outfield, combined with the Yankees’ current roster construction, suggests Boone wants to keep him in right field as much as possible. With Stanton out, the Yankees need to keep their outfield strong, and moving Judge to DH would create a defensive hole.

So, who fills the void? Boone suggested it could end up as a platoon, with various players coming in to DH.

“A guy like Ben Rice, a Dom Smith, JC Ascar, even as part of the three-catcher mix,” Boone recalled. “We’ll sort of jiggle all that around and then hopefully somebody takes the bulk of it and turn it into a platoon situation.”

Boone’s mention of multiple names highlights that the Yankees don’t have a clear, everyday DH replacement. Ben Rice has never played in the majors, and Dom Smith is coming off a season where he slugged only .378. This suggests that instead of relying on a single bat, the Yankees will experiment with different options, hoping one of them steps up. However, this uncertainty could create some instability in a critical part of the lineup.

Judge’s burden: the pressure to carry the Yankees’ offense

While the Yankees scramble to find a viable DH option, the real concern remains: how much weight can Aaron Judge carry? It’s a risky strategy for the Yankees to bet on a DH platoon. With Stanton gone, there’s no reliable Plan B, especially with unproven guys such as Ben Rice or faded veterans such as Dom Smith. How about these: Stanton, on his worst day in 2024, hit 27 home runs and slugged .475. Rice has never played in the majors, and Smith had only a .389 slugging last year.

That’s a huge drop in power potential. Boone’s “jiggling” comment highlights the lack of a clear plan which can foster instability in an important area of the lineup. It’s like trying to replace a pro chef with an amateur chef who’s still learning. The Yankees are being optimistic, but also playing with fire.

With Stanton hurt, the Yankees lose one of their main source of power and it’s not easy to replace him. Without him, the Yankees are suffering from a power shortage, particularly a heavy left-handed presence, as Boone put it. Now they really need guys like Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu. If Judge is at DH more, then they need somebody else to play right field, which ripples through the entire Yankee lineup and makes them reimagine how they can be offensive.

Stanton’s injury has thrown their carefully laid plans into disarray, and they’re now forced to play a high-stakes game of musical chairs with their lineup. But, that’s baseball, isn’t it? No matter the strategy, surprises are inevitable in baseball. With Stanton sidelined and no clear DH replacement, the Yankees are left in a precarious position. Whether Judge’s bat can compensate for the loss remains to be seen, but without a clear plan, the team is walking a fine line between resilience and offensive collapse.