Less than three months ago, New York Yankees fans seemed to have written off any chance of seeing Giancarlo Stanton at the plate this year. However, Stanton, known for his resilience and determination, is proving the doubters wrong as he edges closer to a historic milestone: 500 home runs.

Hours before Tuesday’s 12-3 win over the Padres, the Yankees witnessed an encouraging sight: Giancarlo Stanton was back in the batter’s box in The Bronx and taking competitive at-bats against a pitcher. It represented progress and one more step during a slow buildup process that has an unknown number of steps.