The New York Yankees have every reason to worry about the future of All-Star slugger Giancarlo Stanton. His own words prove that.
Stanton told reporters like Bryan Hoch of MLB.com on Saturday that his elbow injuries are "severe in both elbows." He doesn't know when he'll be able to resume baseball activities and there remains a chance he could need season-ending surgery.
This is starting to look like a worst-case scenario for the Yankees. Either Stanton will miss the whole season or he'll have a delayed start, likely managing pain throughout even if he can play.
Giancarlo Stanton said his elbow injuries are “considered severe in both elbows.” He attributes it to “bat adjustments” from last season and is unsure when he will be able to resume baseball activities. If surgery is needed, he said it would be season-ending.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 8, 2025
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Giancarlo Stanton's elbow injuries raise serious concern over his Yankees future
Aaron Boone described his injury as something akin to tennis elbow. That's an overuse injury. A 35-year-old professional baseball player with an overuse injury from swinging a bat is a huge problem.
If it comes to surgery, Stanton won't swing a bat again until he's 36. Even without surgery, the clock is ticking on his career.
In February, Brandon Kuty of The Athletic spoke to an orthopedic surgeon who speculated that the violence behind Stanton's swing could be causing the problem. On Saturday, Stanton attributed the injury to "bat adjustments" he made last season.
Stanton had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2023. Maybe those adjustments were to help him raise his production in 2024. So what happens when he adjusts the adjustments? If the Yankees have him change his approach, will that new swing be nearly as effective as the one that delivered 27 home runs last year? Will it solve the problem? Or is this the end of the line for Stanton?
Maybe I'm wrong here, but this doesn't sound like the kind of thing that just goes away. Not for someone in their mid-30s whose job is predicated on doing the very activity that caused the problem.
Stanton managed the pain last year and still produced, but the issue obviously got worse, ultimately halting his offseason preparation. If he comes back and continues to manage the pain, it's only a matter of time before it again reaches an untenable level.
This is like his hamstring injuries all over. It's likely to keep popping up.