Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) reacts after hitting 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
As the New York Yankees are getting set to begin their spring training games, things have not gotten off to the best start in terms of injuries to some of their most critical players with Opening Day statuses in doubt.
Last week, it was star reliever Jake Cousins looking questionable to begin the season in the bullpen rather than the injured list with a forearm strain.
Things got worse over the weekend when it was revealed by Aaron Boone that star slugger Giancarlo Stanton - widely known for not being able to play in full seasons and missing significant chunks of time virtually every season in New York - was dealing with discomfort in both elbows which has delayed his start to camp.
More context was revealed on Monday morning by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com who revealed Stanton is dealing with a "very high" level of pain in both elbows and has not even swung a bat in nearly a month, casting doubt on whether he will be ready for Opening Day.
"Look, tennis elbow or whatever they call it, [there are] tears in your tendon," Stanton said Monday. "So [if you ask] when did it feel good, when did it feel bad, there's always a pain level there. You've got to deal with that. It's just the wisest point to give time right now."
Stanton's 114 games in 2024 were his most in a season since 2021. His injuries have tremendously impacted his ability to be the kind of effective masher the team believed they were getting when they lit the MLB world on fire by trading for him on the heels of his 2017 MVP season with the Miami Marlins.
The five-time All-Star has not approached an OPS over .800 since 2021, and while his performance and clutch home runs this past playoff run certainly made a large sector of the fan base forget just how limited he's been in the last three years, seeing him deal with injuries again is not exactly a surprise.
In 14 playoff games this past October, Stanton slashed .273/.339/.709 with seven home runs and 16 RBI, some of his best and most memorable performances in the Bronx. There was hope headed into the offseason he could carry over that momentum and take a huge leap forward in 2025, but that goal is not off to a great start.
Now 35 years old and not getting any younger, the idea Stanton will be able to somehow put together a fully healthy and productive campaign at this stage of his career likely just is not realistic.
The Yankees would be better off letting Stanton heal up completely and try to weather the storm in the lineup for the first several weeks of the season rather than throwing out an even further depleted version of an already depleted star.