As he sat on the back of the bench in the visitors’ dugout at Busch Stadium -- a place he hadn’t had reason to visit in seven years -- one of his former teammates hollered down at Paul Goldschmidt from the field.

Goldschmidt’s return comes at an important juncture. The Yankees’ lineup has been stretched thin with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge both limited. Stanton is dealing with soreness after playing in the outfield three straight days. His first time back in the outfield since 2023 was required because Judge is limited to DH by an elbow injury.