TAMPA, Fla. -- Though Giancarlo Stanton had an adventurous first afternoon patrolling left field, the Yankees remain positive about the ongoing spring experiment, pointing to the solid work that the reigning National League MVP Award winner has been clocking on the back fields of the team's complex in recent weeks.
Stanton had difficulty tracking fly balls against the sun in the Yankees' 9-1 Grapefruit League loss to the Rays on Sunday at George M. Steinbrenner Field, most notably a Jake Bauers second-inning double that clanged off Stanton's glove and Kevin Kiermaier's fourth-inning ground-rule double that bounced on the warning track.