Giancarlo Stanton Could Be Back for Yankees When They Need Him Most

The diagnosis on an injured New York Yankees star may not be as severe as originally believed.

Kenneth Teape | Mar 27, 2025

Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a home run during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are dealing with a multitude of injuries as they prepare for their matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day.

One of the key contributors who won't be in the lineup for the first game of the season is designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton.

He is dealing with injuries to both of his elbows, which could stem from a bat switch change that was recommended to him last year. The person who recommended the change is no longer with the organization.

Knowing he was dealing with this issue going back to last summer makes his performance down the stretch in the postseason all the more impressive.

Stanton was one of the team’s most reliable hitters in October, producing a .273/.339/.709 slash line with a franchise-record seven home runs to go along with three doubles and 16 RBI.

The Yankees know that kind of production isn’t going to be consistently provided during the regular season because of how injury-prone the former MVP is. But as long as he is ready to go when it matters most in the playoffs, they can live with it to some extent.

Alas, his availability this years was in question, as surgery was tossed around as a potential option.

Had he gone under the knife, he would be sidelined for the entire campaign, just like the team’s ace, Gerrit Cole who had to undergo Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for the duration of the 2025 season.

However, surgery for Stanton no longer sounds like it will be on the table.

In fact, Andy Martino of SNY has shared that Stanton responded positively to his last round of PRP injections and is heading in the right direction.

“I am told that Stanton responded well to the PRP shots and should be back to contribute before too terribly long. There is no exact timetable, but it does not sound nearly as dire as, well, Stanton made it sound when he called the injury 'severe,'" he wrote.

When fans heard the words that the slugger decided to use, alarms were sounded. But the team was never as worried, given their knowledge of how Stanton handles speaking about injuries and ailments.

Martino did add that the five-time All-Star is going to miss a good amount of time, but he will be back in the mix with more than enough time to ramp up for what the team hopes is another deep postseason run.

“He’ll be out a while, don’t get me wrong. But the expectation is that he’ll be back with more than enough time to provide his typical late-season and October heroics,” he also wrote.

It could certainly be sooner rather than later, as manager Aaron Boone revealed that Stanton is swinging a bat again, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

With Stanton sidelined, New York is going to turn to Ben Rice to receive the lion’s share of at-bats as the designated hitter.

Aaron Judge and other veterans could receive some time there as quasi-off days, so they don’t have to play the field everyday.

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