Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton looking like himself again (Photo)
By Phil Watson
Injured Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is looking like his old self again a little more than two weeks after his season ended abruptly when he was struck in the face by a pitch from Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Mike Fiers on Sept. 11.
Stanton posted an updated photo to his Instagram account on Friday:
That is a far cry from how he looked five days after the injury:
Stanton told reporters last week that his facial fractures will take six to eight weeks to heal and that he was also going to need extensive dental work, per Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald via Twitter:
Stanton said doctors told him it would take 6-8 weeks for his facial fractures to fully heal #Marlins
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) September 18, 2014
Stanton said five teeth in all were damaged. One was knocked out. One was split in half and another 3 have about 30 percent left. #Marlins
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) September 18, 2014
Stanton was having an MVP-caliber season for the Marlins before the injury. In 145 games, he matched his career high with 37 home runs—still leading the National League—and set a new career-best with 105 RBI. He his .288/.395/.555 with 89 runs and 31 doubles and was also 13-for-14 stealing bases.
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Even without playing since the injury, Stanton leads the NL in slugging and is third in wins above replacement at 6.5.
Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers passed him for the RBI lead, with Gonzalez at 112 through Friday’s games.
The 24-year-old Stanton will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this offseason and the Marlins are reportedly trying to lock him up to a long-term deal.
He was a second-round pick of the then-Florida Marlins in 2007 out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and made his big-league debut in 2010.
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