Giancarlo Stanton’s return to Tampa is imminent. His return to the field is a different story.
On Thursday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that Stanton is expected to rejoin the club in Tampa this weekend. The designated hitter has been in New York due to a personal matter while also dealing with tennis elbows. Those elbows will land Stanton on the injured list to start the season.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman discusses Giancarlo Stanton’s status, saying surgery would be a “last resort”: pic.twitter.com/ps6Y9Tmci9
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 6, 2025
Cashman said that Stanton received a second round of PRP injections while in New York, and it will be a bit before he resumes baseball activities. Stanton received his first injections last week while away from the team.
Asked if PRP injections were considered over the offseason, Cashman said Stanton didn’t complain about his elbows flaring up until right before spring training. Stanton previously said he stopped swinging about three weeks prior to camp, and his elbows were an issue for most of last season, including during his highly productive playoff run.
Cashman said that surgery is a “last resort” for Stanton, though the GM didn’t rule the possibility out.
When Stanton reported to camp, his expectation was that he would have to manage his elbows throughout the season, which is what he did last year despite his pain reaching “very high” levels. He also wasn’t concerned about the possibility of surgery.
“Just gonna give as much time as possible before we gotta get rolling for a full year here,” Stanton said on Feb. 17. “Definitely not just soreness. It’s a manageable thing. That’s how last year [went] and this year will go.”
With Stanton out indefinitely, a few different Yankees could receive DH at-bats.
Aaron Judge will surely DH some, which would allow Cody Bellinger to play right while backup outfielder Trent Grisham handles center field. That’s what the Yanks did for their exhibition games against the Twins on Thursday.
Paul Goldschmidt, age 37, could also benefit from some DH days. Because DJ LeMahieu (calf) is also sidelined, Ben Rice, J.C. Escarra, Everson Pereira and Dominic Smith could also factor into the DH role and/or have clearer paths to playing time and roster spots.