Yankees targeting a mid-June return!
Giancarlo Stanton is creeping closer to a return, but the Yankees aren’t quite ready to pencil him back into the lineup just yet.
Manager Aaron Boone offered an optimistic update on Tuesday, noting that Stanton is nearing the “end game” of his recovery process. While the slugger is eligible to come off the injured list as early as May 24, the team expects his actual return to land sometime in mid-June.
“He’s toward the end game of his running program,” Boone said, adding that Stanton has been getting in plenty of swings against high-velocity pitching.
The 34-year-old has been sidelined since spring training, when tendinitis in both elbows derailed his ramp-up. At one point, Stanton flew from Tampa to New York to undergo testing and received two rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections in both elbows. Surgery was on the table as a worst-case scenario, which would’ve cost him roughly three months, but the team opted against it, in part because they weren’t fully aware of the severity of his condition until shortly before camp opened. According to the Yankees, Stanton hadn’t swung a bat for three to four weeks before reporting to spring training.
Now, with running activity nearly complete and hitting volume increasing, all signs point to a rehab assignment in the near future. Boone hinted it may not be a long one since Stanton is expected to return strictly as a designated hitter.
ALSO READ: When Will the Yankees’ Second Baseman Be Back?
The Yankees officially placed Stanton on the 60-day IL on May 1, which makes May 24 the earliest he could be activated. Still, the club is proceeding cautiously, aiming for a mid-June timeline that allows for a full ramp-up.
Even without Stanton, the Yankees’ designated hitters have more than held their own. Their .284 average from the DH spot ranks fourth in MLB, while a .987 OPS sits second. Collectively, the group has mashed 15 home runs, 14 doubles, and driven in 30 runs.
Ben Rice has been the biggest contributor, slashing .250/.348/.529 with nine homers, 10 doubles, and 20 RBI. Rice was even seen taking grounders at third base before Sunday’s game, a potential hint at position flexibility to make room for Stanton? Boone shut that down quickly, calling it “just for fun.” Still, it’s worth noting that Yankees third basemen have combined to hit just .203 with a .568 OPS, near the bottom of the league in both categories.
ALSO READ: Time to Have the Anthony Volpe Conversation… Again?
Stanton hit .233 with a .773 OPS in 114 games last season, tallying 27 homers, 20 doubles, and 72 RBI. He turned it up in October, blasting seven postseason home runs and posting a 1.048 OPS. His dominance in the ALCS, especially against the Cleveland Guardians, earned him MVP honors.
Now, the Yankees are hoping his next big swing is just a few weeks away.
mlb
MLB 
