The Yankees are facing another setback with slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t picked up a bat in nearly a month due to pain in both elbows.
“It’s definitely not just soreness,” Stanton told reporters Monday morning. The pain level? “Very high,” according to the power hitter.
This isn’t a new problem. Stanton’s been dealing with these elbow issues since last season, playing through the discomfort while still managing to blast 27 home runs in 114 games.
He’s trying to stay positive. Surgery isn’t on the table right now, but the situation doesn’t sound great for Yankees fans hoping to see him on Opening Day.
The 35-year-old slugger has become pretty familiar with the injured list. Since 2019, he’s only played in 505 out of 870 possible games – that’s just 58% of the time.
But here’s the thing: when he’s healthy, he’s still one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters. Just look at last postseason, where he crushed seven homers in 14 games, setting a Yankees playoff record and earning ALCS MVP honors. And he did all that with those same elbow problems.
The Yankees have gotten used to filling Stanton’s designated hitter spot when he’s out. They’ll likely turn to a mix of players including:
* Trent Grisham in the outfield
* Infielders DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera
* Young prospect Ben Rice, who made some noise with a three-homer game last summer
Stanton’s sitting on 429 career homers – tops among active players. He’s got three years left on his contract (worth $66 million) to chase the 500-homer milestone. But first, he’s got to get those elbows right.
The big question now is whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day. The Yankees and their fans have seen this movie before – they’re just hoping for a better ending this time around.
