The defending AL champion New York Yankees walked into camp with what was supposed to be one of the strongest teams in baseball. That perspective took an immediate hit when former MVP slugger Giancarlo Stanton revealed he had tennis elbow in both elbows.
Since then, little has gone right for a Yankees team that is unravelling in real time. New York's pitching staff and pitching depth has been thoroughly ravaged. Now, we have been given updates regarding Stanton, and it’s not good news.
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Giancarlo Stanton has a calf injury in addition to torn tendons
Prior to Stanton’s departure for medical testing, manager Aaron Boone issued an update that shrouded Stanton’s issues in mystery, saying that his trip back to New York was “personal in nature.” From how it sounded, Boone raised speculative concerns that there might have been a second injury. Now, those fears have been confirmed.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday that Stanton had a “chronic calf issue” in addition to torn tendons in both elbows. The concerning word here is “chronic,” which implies symptoms are prolonged or reoccurring. But Heyman maintained the more concerning issue is still the elbows. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports that there is still no timeline for his return.
Giancarlo Stanton is back in Yankees camp, but there's still no timetable for him to resume baseball activities. He's dealing with what Aaron Boone called a "minor" calf issue in addition to the tendon tears in both elbows.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 14, 2025
Stanton has suffered roughly 10 injuries since 2019 (not including these two new cases) causing him to miss significant time. As of now, elbow surgery still remains an option, which would force him to miss the entire 2025 season. Even with his endless injuries interrupting his career, Stanton has never missed a full season.
In a sick, ironic twist, Stanton has been given this dilemma after he performed brilliantly under the bright lights of the MLB postseason. His bat was instrumental in the Yankees’ postseason run last year, which culminated in the team’s first World Series appearance since their championship in 2009. It is thought that the culprit for his elbow injuries was a swing adjustment made prior to the 2024 season in response to a down year in 2023. But it’s also worth noting that Stanton used a noticeably larger bat this past season. However, the problem now isn’t finding the cause, but finding the solution.