The Yankees officially announced that Giancarlo Stanton gained’t be out there for the beginning of the season, because the slugger might be positioned on the injured record as a result of his recurring elbow points. The 2017 NL MVP Stanton acquired PRP injections in each elbows, and is anticipated to return to the crew’s spring camp later this week after coping with an unspecified private matter in New York.
The announcement doesn’t come as any shock, as Stanton hasn’t swung a bat in 5 or 6 weeks due to continued soreness in his elbows. Two weeks in the past, Stanton and supervisor Aaron Boone described the issue as much like tennis elbow, with Stanton noting that some tendon injury had taken place. Whereas surgical procedure wasn’t being thought-about, surgical procedure would naturally change into an choice (or inevitable) within the occasion of an precise tendon tear, which is why Stanton stated he and the crew had been being cautious of their strategy to the accidents.
No timetable was introduced for Stanton’s restoration, however in all probability the tip of April would symbolize a best-case situation for the five-time All-Star to make his 2025 debut. A while might be wanted to judge Stanton’s elbows within the aftermath of the PRP therapy, and if all is nicely, he’d then want to begin his common ramp-up proceedings after lacking a lot of each spring coaching and even his pre-camp offseason work. Given Stanton’s lengthy historical past of leg-related accidents, he’ll want some prep time past simply hitting work, even when he’s going to be a DH-only participant this season.
Accidents have lengthy hampered Stanton’s profession, and saved from absolutely delivering on the whopping 13-year, $325M contract he signed with the Marlins again in November 2014. There’s nonetheless $96M owed to Stanton within the ultimate three assured years of that deal, counting the $10M, although the Yankees are solely answerable for masking $66M of that determine as per the phrases of the commerce that introduced Stanton from Miami to New York in December 2017.
Stanton has been fairly productive (.241/.323/.483 with 162 dwelling runs in 2,776 plate appearances) throughout his time within the pinstripes, and has can nonetheless seemed like certainly one of baseball’s most harmful hitters infrequently. Nonetheless, these red-hot streaks have been countered by each prolonged slumps, and a number of other occasions when Stanton has merely been unable to play as a result of damage.
The 2024 season noticed Stanton miss about 5 weeks as a result of a hamstring pressure, although he bounced again moderately nicely from a down 12 months in 2023. Stanton hit .233/.298/.475 with 27 dwelling runs in 459 PA final season, which translated to a 116 wRC+ even when low common and on-base numbers proceed to be a priority. The slugger then elevated his recreation in October, hitting .273/.339/.709 with seven homers over 62 PA throughout New York’s playoff run, and he captured ALCS MVP honors for his enormous efficiency within the Yankees’ five-game elimination of the Guardians.
Following up that nice postseason with yet one more vital damage is undoubtedly an enormous frustration for Stanton as he enters his sixteenth MLB marketing campaign (and his age-35 season). The truth that these elbow issues are a wholly new damage for Stanton may very well be seen in certainly one of two methods — both as a optimistic that he isn’t once more coping with leg issues, or as a adverse that Stanton is now coping with elbow points on prime of the ever-present concern over his decrease physique.
With Stanton out, the Yankees may simply choose to fill the designated hitter spot with a rotation of gamers, with a view to unfold round at-bats and partial relaxation days for different veterans like Aaron Decide, Paul Goldschmidt or DJ LeMahieu. When it comes to general roster building, Ben Rice now appears to have a greater likelihood of constructing the Opening Day roster, and choosing up some DH at-bats himself.
An exterior addition can also’t be dominated out, if Stanton is going through an prolonged period of time on the IL. Studies have already indicated the Yankees have been in touch with J.D. Martinez, maybe laying some groundwork for a future contract in case Stanton isn’t making a lot progress in a few weeks’ time. Including a distinguished veteran like Martinez, nonetheless, would additionally threaten to push the Yankees’ even additional excessive luxury-tax tire — RosterResource initiatives New York’s tax quantity at roughly $305.1M, and past the higher penalty threshold of $301M.
