Oct. 18 (UPI) -- New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will return to the team's lineup for Friday's Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.
The Yankees announced their starting lineup Friday and listed Stanton, who has missed the last three games with a right quadriceps strain, as the club's designated hitter. He will bat cleanup in the elimination game, with the Astros holding a 3-1 series lead.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Stanton visited his office Thursday night and the two had a brief conversation.
"He's been kind of wanting to get in there the last few days, and we held off," Boone said. "Then he actually did come by my office [Thursday] night and we both kind of said, 'Let's go.'"
Stanton hasn't played since Game 1 of the ALCS on Oct. 12. He sustained the injury while running out a ground ball single in the opening game of the series.
Stanton remained in the contest and belted a solo home run in the Yankees' 7-0 victory over the Astros at Minute Maid Park. He is 3-for-10 with a homer and four walks across four games this postseason.
With Stanton returning to the lineup at designated hitter, Edwin Encarnacion was pushed to the bench. He is hitting .067 (1-for-15) with eight strikeouts in the ALCS.
