Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton doesn't rule out season debut for this weekend vs. Red Sox

New York Times

4 days ago

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton didn't rule out potentially making his season debut vs. the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park this weekend.
'I don't know,' he said. 'I'm not sure.'
Stanton spoke to reporters hours before his first rehab game at Double-A Somerset at TD Bank Park on Tuesday night.
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The 35-year-old slugger missed all of spring training and the season so far dealing with an unusual injury: epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, in both of his arms.
Stanton said he wanted to at least play consecutive days during his rehab assignment before returning to the major-league lineup. He added that his plan Tuesday was to take 'three-to-five at-bats.' He was slated to hit second in the lineup, a spot ahead of organizational top prospect George Lombard Jr., a shortstop.
'I just got to get some real at-bats in a game and let me figure it out,' he said. 'This isn't where I want to be, trust me.'
In 2023, Stanton strained his left hamstring and played just one rehab game before rejoining the Yankees.
In theory, Stanton could play Tuesday and Wednesday, take off Thursday and return to the Yankees' lineup as soon as Friday. He's spent the last couple of weeks taking live at-bats and running the bases at the team's player development facility in Tampa. The Yankees don't appear to be expecting him to play defense, and he hasn't played the outfield since 2023. Stanton didn't work out defensively before Tuesday's game, and manager Aaron Boone has said the team was preparing him to DH.
Stanton said he still expects to feel pain while hitting, but that it's manageable. He said he'll check 'each morning' how he feels and will adjust his routines accordingly.
Stanton said the work in Tampa allowed him to 'get a little routine' going.
'This will tell me how close I am,' he said. 'There's no simulating a major-league game, but if you want to get as close as you can, you get to a minor-league game.'
Giancarlo Stanton early BP swings. Reminder: He doesn't go all out in BP. It's a process. pic.twitter.com/jRm3PyZ1sk
— Brendan Kuty 🧟‍♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) June 10, 2025
The Los Angeles native was dealing with pain in both of his elbows midway through last regular season when he hit 27 total home runs and in his stellar playoff run when he accounted for seven home runs and a 1.048 OPS in 14 games.
The Yankees have handled Stanton's absence well. Entering Tuesday, they are in first place in the American League East at 39-25 — four games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, who are tied for second. They have especially been adept at DH, getting 2.9 fWAR from the position. Yankees designated hitters have hit .293 with 20 homers and 39 RBIs.
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Rookie Ben Rice has received the majority of the Yankees at-bats at DH with 152, hitting .263 with 12 homers at the position. Aaron Judge has hit .377 as a DH.
Much of Stanton's preparation has involved using the Trajket high-speed pitching machine, which uses a video board to display the deliveries of specific major-league pitchers. The Yankees have one at Yankee Stadium, and at each of their minor-league affiliates.
'It's a really good help timing-wise and movement-wise,' he said. 'But there's that next step where you don't know what's coming. You've got to sit down. You've got to wait. You don't know exactly when you're going to be up. You can imagine a game situation, but you're not actually there. Those are good practices, but baseball — more than just about any sport — you've got to be out in a game setting at least a little bit.'
Stanton said he was excited to share a lineup with Lombard, who could wind up in the majors as early as next year. The Athletic's Keith Law ranked Lombard as the 27th best prospect in baseball recently, saying that he 'looks fantastic at shortstop' and that he's 'some sort of star, but with a wide variance in that category.'
The Yankees promoted the 20-year-old from High-A Hudson Valley on May 6. Lombard hit .329 with a homer and 13 RBIs and a .983 OPS in 24 games at High A. At Double A, he's struggled offensively, hitting .200 with no home runs, seven RBIs and a .604 OPS in 29 games. He's whiffed 32 times compared to 22 walks at Double A so far.
'When you've got the makeup that he does and the determination and the want to get better,' Stanton said of Lombard, 'just being a sponge with the knowledge you can get to go apply it, good things happen. I'm not surprised. For me, Double A was the biggest jump in the minor leagues. The adjustments here get your ground work for the big leagues. He'll download all that.'
Stanton has 429 career home runs — the most among active players. Lombard and Stanton formed a bond during spring training.
'I'm glad that he's here,' Lombard said. 'It'll be a lot of fun watching him play. I'll be locked in on him.'
(Top photo of Giancarlo Stanton: Somerset Patriots)