Can someone explain to me how, when an entire year is on the line, Giancarlo Stanton can't bust it?

Two nights ago, in a one-run game, Oswaldo Cabrera lined a ball into the right-center gap; the Royals CF dove for it, knocking the ball into right field. The Yanks had a runner on first, and he stopped at third. The threat fizzled. There aren't many MLB players who couldn't have scored from first on that double. No, wait, let me amend that: There is only one. 

Later, that player hit a grounder that tied up the Royals 3B, who fumbled and fidgeted, pulled out his cell phone, texted his wife, ordered an Uber and wrote poetry in his journal, and then threw to first, getting the out. There aren't many MLB players who couldn't have beat out that grounder. Actually, there is one.  

In both cases, with a game - or a season? - on the line, Giancarlo Stanton loped on the base paths, unable to push himself into fifth fourth third - second? -gear. He's been this way for three months. On June 22, Stanton - who had been hot, hitting .304 that month - went down with a hamstring tweak. He returned July 29 as a turtle. In August, he hit .222; in September, .194. One central aspect of his game could not be ignored. 

The guy simply cannot run.

He is a bat, nothing more. (Much like Danny Tartabull was, at the end.) If he smacks a ball off the left field wall, unless it bounces crazily, it's a single. If he hits a grounder, unless the bases are empty, it's a DP. There is no compromise. He does not sprint. It's possible that he never, ever again, will. 

Listen: I don't wanna criticize Stanton. It's easy to point to his contract and complain. Of course, he's not worth $32 million per season, but that's not his fault. The Marlins stupidly gave him a 13 year, $320 million deal, and when they realized their mistake, they searched for a patsy and - lo and behold - Brian Cashman returned the call. What was Stanton supposed to do? say, "O, no! my body is disintegrating, I'm not worth $32 million; let's rewrite the contract so my family receives less money." Nope. We can look at Stanton from many angles, but we cannot blame him for growing old. That's on the Yankees, who will be paying him through 2028.

But these days, a truly distressing event takes place whenever Stanton must run, which - sadly, occurs whenever he hits the ball. He cannot bust it. He just lopes.

And we know where this is heading. Of course, we do. It will happen against the Royals, or in the ALCS, or - gulp -in the world series. Stanton will be chugging along, faced with either tweaking his hammy or saving himself, and it will be a close call.

Saturday night, he chose the latter. The Yankees won, but not by much.

There may be one other factor here: The clubhouse. As far as I can see, Stanton is a likeable - (I hesitate to use "beloved," which is overworked) - and respected character in the Yank dugout. Would Boone, by benching Giancarlo, undermine the team's zeitgeist? Are the Yankees once again using salaries to dictate the lineup?  (This on a night when Carlos Rodon will start Game Two?) 

When the year is on the line, will Giancarlo bust it?