STANTON OUT ONCE AGAIN! Giancarlo shut down with right calf strain, might be out for Opening Day
TAMPA — Giancarlo Stanton’s attempt at a comeback season has already hit a snag. The Yankee slugger was shut down Wednesday with a right calf strain, endangering his ability to get ready for the March 26 Opening Day.
“Yeah, it’ll probably put us up against it a little bit,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I mean I would say it’s time for him to get back. But then getting built up and stuff. We’ll see.”
It was the second straight day the Yankees were hit with injury news, coming a day after the news that right-hander Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery and will miss the year.
“You know it’s disappointing because you want to get guys going and built up, but it’s just a little bump in the road and we’re equipped to handle it,” Boone said when asked if he felt like the Yankees were snakebit by injuries once again.
Stanton has certainly been unlucky with injuries over the last year.
The 30year-old outfielder played just 18 games this season because of a long and frustrating series of injuries. He strained his left biceps the first weekend of the season. While rehabbing from that, Stanton also dealt with a strained left shoulder and then, as he was beginning to rehab he strained his left calf. He returned to play six games, then jammed his knee running bases and missed 73 games before returning in September.
And then he suffered a right
quad strain during the ALCS, playing in just two games of the series that ended the Yankees season.
Stanton slashed .288/.403/ .492 with three home runs and 13 RBI in those 18 regular-season games this season. He hit .230 with two RBI in 13 postseason at-bats.
That is not exactly what the Yankees were hoping to get when they traded for him after his National League MVP season in 2017. They took on the majority of what remains of his 13-year, $325 million deal hoping he could anchor their offense.
Instead, the contract is turning into an anchor on the Yankees’ future payroll as concern about his ability to stay healthy only grows.
“I think sure some, some guys are more durable and the gamut is large, right? I mean everyone’s DNA and their anatomy is a little bit different,” Boone said. “So, I know the timing of it around Sevy and what he went through last year, it starts to build this thing, but hopefully this is just a small bump that it doesn’t swallow much (time).”
Stanton was one of a record 30 players who went on the injured list last season, which forced the Yankees to revamp their training and conditioning staff. So far, the Yankees have had two serious injuries that are holdovers from last season in Severino and James Paxton, who is out until at least May after back surgery.
Stanton’s injury, however, is new. He was a scratch from the Yankees’ lineup on Wednesday.
“So it was a concern yesterday, and I don’t think he thought it was that big a deal. Just a little soreness and then came in this morning, felt better. But we sent him just to be safe after Dr. Murphy examined him and everything and it showed the strain,” Boone said. “So it’s going to be a couple of weeks.”
The Yankees are already carefully easing Aaron Judge back into work after he was shut down with a sore right shoulder. Aaron Hicks is going to miss the start of the season after October 2018 Tommy John surgery.
Now, Stanton not only might miss the start of the regular season, but the Yankees have to be concerned about how much they can use him in the field. Boone has said it was a” fluid situation,” and wouldn’t admit it Wednesday, but it is becoming more and more clear that Stanton may have to be a designated hitter the majority of the time.
“I don’t know. I mean, we’ll have those conversations as he gets healthy and going and see what it all looks like,” Boone said.