NEW YORK — For New York Yankees fans, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge were supposed to be this generation’s Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, or Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Two larger-than-life sluggers in the middle of their primes were supposed to form the sport’s most devastating home run duo. They were supposed to win multiple championships.When the Yankees acquired Stanton in a statement trade with the Miami Marlins before the 2018 season, the vision was clear. Judge had announced himself as the game’s newest superstar after hitting 52 home runs in his Rookie of the Year season. Stanton was the reigning National League MVP, fresh off hitting 59 home runs.It was impossible not to think of prolonged greatness. The Yankees now had two enormous, terrifying sluggers in the middle of their order.Together, they did not come close to meeting those lofty expectations, and now the end of an era is nearer.The Yankees announced Saturday that Stanton had sustained a left calf strain while rehabbing from two calf strains in his right leg. Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged it would be “challenging” for Stanton, who has just 90 at-bats in 2026, to return this season. It is the latest chapter in a tragic downfall for one of baseball’s most feared sluggers, and it should prompt hard decisions about the five-time All-Star’s future as the club looks to 2027.Where old Yankee Stadium once stood, a decrepit park remainsSam Blum and Johnny SweetStanton’s Yankees career has turned into a case of what-might-have-been, as injuries have routinely betrayed his body. He has been limited to 606 of 1,160 regular-season games since 2019. After this latest injury, it is increasingly difficult to imagine his Yankees career having an ending that is anything but uncomfortable.It is time for the Yankees to face reality: They can no longer afford to plan a roster around a 36-year-old player whose body refuses to cooperate.When everyone is healthy, the Yankees will have a roster logjam. Ben Rice has not shown enough defensive improvement at first base this season, which has effectively rendered him a designated hitter. The Yankees’ trade for Luis García Jr. has proven shrewd. Now they don’t have to rely on Stanton to return because García can play first while Rice continues getting DH at-bats.Judge will also likely require more DH days when he returns from his fractured rib injury in the coming weeks. The Yankees should figure out ways to minimize some of the injury risk for Judge while he plays the outfield. They cannot afford to have the best hitter of his generation unavailable because of freak injuries. Then there’s Jasson Domínguez — if the Yankees believe in the 23-year-old’s future; he, too, is trending toward being a designated hitter.