The New York Yankees’ hopes of returning to the World Series may have already taken a significant hit before spring training games even begin. Slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton revealed on Monday that painful tendonitis in both elbows has prevented him from swinging a bat for the past 3-4 weeks, leaving his status for Opening Day very much in doubt.
Speaking to reporters at the Yankees’ spring training facility in Tampa, the 35-year-old Stanton provided concerning details about the elbow issues that plagued him for much of the 2024 season, even as he helped power the Bronx Bombers to the American League pennant.
“Tennis elbow or however they call it is tears in tendon, so it’s not when did it feel good, when did it feel bad. There’s always the pain level there and you got to deal with that. So, yeah, it’s just the wisest point to give time right now.”
– Giancarlo Stanton on playing through elbow pain in 2024
The hulking designated hitter and occasional outfielder put up a .233/.309/.467 slash line with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs last season, production that was solid but a far cry from his MVP-caliber peak. He performed better in the playoffs, hitting .273 with seven homers as the Yankees fell to the champion New York Mets in a thrilling “Subway Series.”
Stanton: “Definitely behind” in preparation
With Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers looming on March 27th, Stanton admitted the prolonged inability to swing a bat has him lagging well behind schedule:
“Definitely behind, but I mean that’s just a matter of being ready for a full go today as opposed to in a little bit. So we have five, six weeks here. It’ll be a good ramp up from there. We’ll see how that goes.”
– Giancarlo Stanton on whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day
The prospect of beginning the season without their second-most dangerous slugger would be a major blow to a Yankees team with World Series-or-bust expectations. New York won 97 games a year ago before running through the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros to capture the AL crown.
Judge can’t carry offense alone
As brilliant as Aaron Judge was in his record-setting 63-homer 2022 campaign and solid follow-up, the Yankees simply can’t afford to have a diminished Stanton in the cleanup spot behind him if they want to rival the Mets, Astros, and other MLB juggernauts. Stanton’s imposing presence helps Judge see more pitches to hit.
- Protection for Judge key to offense
- Stanton still elite power threat when healthy
There’s no questioning Stanton’s prodigious power and run-producing ability when he’s right physically. The former National League MVP has smashed 381 career home runs and owns a .904 OPS over his 14 major league seasons with the Yankees and Marlins. But injuries have often prevented him from staying in the lineup consistently.
Will rest and rehab be enough?
For now, the Yankees have little choice but to hope that extended rest and rehab work allow Stanton’s elbows to heal sufficiently before the games start to count. The veteran thinks a cautious approach is prudent, even if it means starting the season on the injured list.
“It’s a manageable thing. Definitely not just soreness. The wise move is to change it from last year’s ‘grind it out’ approach and take care of it now before it gets to ‘knife’ level.”
– Giancarlo Stanton discusses managing chronic elbow issue
Stanton’s ability to recover quickly and produce at a high level could very well determine if the loaded Yankees break baseball’s longest current championship drought or fall short of expectations once again. The pressure is on one of MLB’s biggest stars to get healthy – and stay healthy – for a club built to win it all.
