Didi's inexplicable collapse could be Aaron Boone's first true test

About a month ago, undetected by the YES-MO super-cameras, some disreputable juju gods secretly replaced the good-hearted Didi Gregorius with his evil twin, Doodoo. 

Frankly, that's the only explanation that makes sense for what has happened to the Yankees most popular player since Jeet morphed into Donald Trump Jr.  

Last night, the evil Doodoo went 0-4 with a hapless strikeout, dropping his average to .248 - now below Giancarlo Stanton's .261. For weeks, Didi has turned into Wayne Tolleson, a steadily shrinking bat that was spackled-over by the Yankee winning streak. But as Didi's Jumbotron stats have plummeted from the .360s to the .240s, it's impossible to ignore.

Tonight, and tomorrow, the Yankees face lefty starters, and it would seem a logical move - if not a mercy killing - to "rest" Didi against at least one. I say "rest," because the team hadn't played in three days before showing up flatfooted last night. In his rare starts, Ronald Torreyes always seems to get a big hit, and right now, Didi is a pop fly machine.

A second move could be to drop Didi a few slots in the lineup. After a dreadful start, Aaron Boone bumped Stanton down to fourth. It's only May, hard to see the Yankee lineup as a carved stone tablet handed down to Moses. 

But look: I'm not here to manage the Yankees from my Syracuse "Golden Snowball-winning" Lazy-Boy. That's Boonie's job, and it's why the brain trust chose him over the likes of Beltran and Bam Bam. I suspect Joe Girardi would be choosing to stand pat. In his Game of Thrones sense of honor and loyalty, Joe would march into the abyss with a player who has earned his trust. (But Joe seldom forgave those on the wrong side of the binders.) I'm not saying Joe was wrong. But Boone is someone else. And it's time to show how he'll help a beloved player get through a personal crisis. 

Listen: If I had the Infinity Stones, I'd get laid a few times, get the car fixed, and then focus on winning Yankee games. But right now, I haven't a clue on what to do. Somehow, Boonie needs to let Didi relax. We hoped three nights off would snap him out of the funk. It sure didn't work last night. 

Thing is, the Yankees don't need Didi to hit .365 with 40 HRs. All they need is the Didi from last year - that spidery defense and joyful clubhouse spirit. They don't need the Didi who bats third, and I'm wondering if such a role - traditionally awarded to a marquee star - is part of his problem. 

Last night, Greg Bird homered for Trenton. He is 5 for 33 in his rehab, probably a week away. If it's a lefty bat that Boone craves, Bird could fill the three hole. Regardless of whether it's Didi or his twin, the Yankee lineup will soon change. So let's see what Boone does tonight. Eventually, Didi will get back on track. But he won't be the only key player to hit a death slump this season. We're about to see how Boone manages this team. It can't always be 14-game winning streaks.