New York Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton is dealing with chronic tendinitis in both elbows and is uncertain to be ready for Opening Day, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Sunday.
The MVP of the 2024 American League Championship Series was bothered by deep soreness in his elbows for much of last season. The 35-year-old hit 27 home runs and drove in 72 runs over 114 games.
“It’s tough to say,” Boone said in terms of when Stanton might make his season debut. “I’m not going to put any timeline on it. We’re just going to be smart with it.”
Position players reported to Tampa, Fla., Sunday, one day ahead of the team’s first full-squad workout. New York opens the regular season on March 27 against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Boone knew Stanton continued to be bothered by elbow discomfort throughout the winter, so Sunday’s news was not surprising to the Yankees manager.
“Giancarlo’s a little behind just dealing with some elbow stuff that he dealt with last year, actually both elbows kind of really akin to tennis elbow,” Boone said of the club’s main designated hitter. “This is something that if we’re full bore in we’d be grinding away probably, but just want to make sure we give it the proper time and just give ourselves the chance to be in the best position throughout the year.”
The Yankees would like to have a healthy Stanton this season as they look to make up for the lost production of Juan Soto, who departed for the New York Mets as a free agent in the offseason.
Stanton had seven homers and 16 RBIs in 55 postseason at-bats as the Yankees reached the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Stanton went deep twice in the Fall Classic to follow up his four-homer showing against the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS.
Stanton is entering his 16th major league season — the first eight coming with the Miami Marlins before he was traded to the Yankees prior to the 2018 season. He has 429 homers and 1,103 RBIs along with a .257 average in 1,649 career games.
Stanton is a five-time All-Star and he was the National League MVP in 2017 when he established career highs of 59 homers and 132 RBI for Miami.
Also, center fielder Trent Grisham is recovering from a recent left hamstring pull. He batted .190 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 76 games last season.
