Giancarlo Stanton Not in Yankees' Game 3 Lineup vs. Astros Due to Quad Injury

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton remained out of the club's starting lineup for Game 3 of the 2019 ALCS against the Houston Astros because of a right quadriceps strain.

Stanton provided an update on his status prior to Tuesday's game, noting that he is currently able to hit, per MLB.com's Bryan Hoch:

"It's pretty similar to 48 hours ago. Just going to see what we can do. It's not the best, but I'm able to hit. We're at least that far right now. I don't have much time. Time is not on my side right now. I'm doing what I can.

"Outfield is the biggest question. Those are the same steps as on the baselines. That's going to be the biggest hurdle right now. ... I can hit. I've got to move around more and see what I've got."

Aaron Hicks joined the lineup in center field with Brett Gardner shifting to left. Cameron Maybin, who started Game 2 in Stanton's place, will begin Tuesday's game on the bench.

Stanton has endured an injury-plagued year that limited him to 18 games during the regular season.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone previously said the 29-year-old slugger had made progress since suffering the quad injury in Game 1.

"He hit in the cage [Sunday] and it went pretty well," Boone told reporters. "We tried as much as we could to stay away from testing it or doing those kind of things with the off-day [Monday]."

The Yanks are hesitant to remove Stanton from the ALCS roster even if he's at less than 100 percent because it would make him ineligible for the World Series if the team advances past the Astros.

"It is a sensitive decision, a tough decision, and hopefully we make the best decision," Boone said. "We'll just try and evaluate and try and get as honest as feedback as we can from Giancarlo, which he's on the same page with. We feel like we have good communication there, and we’ll try to make the best decision for us moving forward."

He added Stanton will be available in a pinch-hitting role Tuesday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

When healthy, the California native is one of the league's most dangerous sluggers. He posted a career-best 59 home runs with the Miami Marlins in 2017 and hit 38 homers last year during his first season in pinstripes.

Hicks and Maybin should continue to split the starts until Stanton is cleared for a full return.

The Yankees and Astros are tied at one game apiece as the series shifts to Yankee Stadium. First pitch for Game 3 is scheduled for 4:08 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.