Giancarlo Stanton has rejoined the New York Yankees in person, but the team remains uncertain about when he will return to the lineup. Stanton and Aaron Judge are with the Yankees this week during series against the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs. However, their presence does not signal an imminent return, as neither player has been traveling regularly during their injury absences, apart from a few recent exceptions.

Stanton has been sidelined since April 24 due to a second strain of his right calf. Manager Aaron Boone described Stanton’s current focus as progressing through his running rehabilitation, though he has not yet advanced to running the bases—the activity during which Stanton initially sustained his injury as he was nearing a return in June. Boone said Stanton’s strength and explosive work in the weight room have been encouraging, but the player still needs to reach an adequate level on the running front to resume playing. Boone also indicated there are no immediate plans for Stanton to undergo another MRI.

Meanwhile, center fielder Trent Grisham received a day off on Monday amid a significant slump, going 2-for-36 at the plate. Boone attributed the recent performance difficulties largely to a lack of luck in terms of getting rewarded for hard-hit balls. Boone originally hoped to rest Grisham during Sunday’s game against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, but due to Cody Bellinger’s placement on the injured list and concerns about deploying inexperienced Spencer Jones against Sánchez, the rest day was delayed until Monday.

The Yankees also looked forward to observing Munetaka Murakami, the first baseman for the White Sox, in person for the first time since he was injured during a previous visit to Yankee Stadium last month. Murakami, 26, has been having a strong season with 22 home runs and a .921 OPS over 69 games. Boone expressed admiration for Murakami’s combination of patience at the plate and power to all fields, noting the player’s low chase rate of 22 percent as a notable strength. When asked whether the league had underestimated Murakami before his breakout, Boone acknowledged it appeared that way.

With Stanton’s timeline still unclear and key position players managing slumps and injuries, the Yankees continue to navigate a challenging stretch as they face divisional opponents in Chicago.