Who sits for Yankees with Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton off IL

LOS ANGELES — The Dodger Stadium organist was playing the theme for ‘70s sitcom “Welcome Back Kotter” when Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton walked into the batting cage for his first round of batting practice Friday.

Fitting.

Stanton is off the injured list after missing 43 games with a hamstring strain.

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Josh Donaldson also was out there taking swings on his first day back from a hamstring strain, his absence lasting 51 games.

Both were in manager Aaron Boone’s lineup for the opener to a historic interleague series, Yankees vs. Dodgers. Stanton was Boone’s designated hitter and hitting cleanup while Donaldson was at third base and batting fifth.

“It’s good to see them here and a part of this,” Boone said. “They worked hard to get to this point. You’re talking about two slugs in there that are going to add a little bit of length. I’m excited to get them back in there and get ‘em going. Hopefully they get settled pretty quickly.”

First baseman Anthony Rizzo also was back in the Yankees’ lineup after missing three games with a sore neck, so the Yankees’ only notable absence was center fielder Harrison Bader, who went on the IL last Tuesday with a hamstring strain.

With Stanton and Donaldson back, Boone will have tougher lineup decisions to make, especially in the infield. If Stanton is in the lineup at DH — and he won’t play any outfield at least for a couple weeks — either second baseman Gleyber Torres, infielder DJ LeMahieu, Donaldson or Rizzo will be on the bench.

Boone dealt with this issue at times last season by giving one of them a day off every four or five days with LeMahieu rotating between first, second and third.

This weekend, Boone plans to start Donaldson and Stanton in two of three games. On Saturday, Stanton probably will sit with Torres being the DH and LeMahieu at second. On Sunday, Donaldson is expected to be out of the lineup with LeMahieu at third.

“Somebody’s obviously got to sit,” Boone said. “I’ll build (Donaldson) up. Whether it’s two out of three, three out of four (after that) … It’ll play itself out a little bit. There’s going to be a day off for Rizzo at some point and Gleyber. You kind of maneuver them that way.

“The biggest thing is hopefully it works to where they all kind of protect one another and allow each other to stay fresh depending on a given day or an off day or a matchup.”

Stanton is only being used at DH for awhile because he came off the IL having played just one rehab game, last Tuesday with Double-A Somerset when he was 0-for-3 with a walk.

When Stanton starts playing in the field again, he’ll see some time in left field.

For the time being, with Stanton not playing any outfield and Bader on the IL, Boone will use Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Greg Allen or Aaron Judge center field. The Yankees left field options for now are Kiner-Falefa, Allen, Jake Bauers and Willie Calhoun.

On Friday, Boone went with the righty-hitting IKF in left and the switch-hitting Allen in center against Dodgers lefty starter Clayton Kershaw.

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

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