Oct 18, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) runs after hitting a three run home run in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game four of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

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Giancarlo Stanton injury update: Yankees star to miss opening day, start season on IL

The bad news continues...

The New York Yankees have finally given clarity on Giancarlo Stanton’s injury situation, though it’s not the news anyone was hoping for. After days of speculation, curiosity, and conspiracy, the team confirmed that Giancarlo Stanton will start the 2025 MLB season on the injured list, dashing any hopes of his availability for Opening Day.

This is a significant setback for the Yankees, whose roster is already dealing with issues at third base and in the rotation following Luis Gil’s recent MRI news. Now, with Stanton sidelined, the team faces a new dilemma: how to fill the designated hitter role effectively. Unless the Yankees bring in outside help, they could be looking at an uninspiring stopgap solution – one that might be similar to their last season’s experiment of a Jahmai Jones-like player playing DH.

The Yankees announced that Giancarlo Stanton is still in New York attending to a personal matter. He received PRP injections in both elbows and will begin the season on the injured list. The team expects him to return to Tampa this coming week.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 1, 2025

The Yankees announced that Giancarlo Stanton remains in New York tending to a personal matter. He has received PRP injections in both elbows and is expected to return to Tampa sometime next week. The timeline for his recovery remains unclear, but his absence at the start of the season is confirmed.

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Giancarlo Stanton’s injury history is well-documented. The 35-year-old slugger has struggled to stay on the field in recent years, failing to appear in more than 114 games in a season since 2021. However, despite his regular-season setbacks and injury-prone status, Stanton was a key figure in the Yankees’ 2024 postseason run, which ended just short of a championship. That alone underscores his value to the team in high-stakes moments.

While losing Giancarlo Stanton for the early portion of the season is a blow, the Yankees’ primary focus should be ensuring his availability for the stretch run and the postseason. If they can navigate the early weeks without him, the hope is that Stanton returns at full strength when it matters most.

Giancarlo Stanton

Injury

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.