Prior to Thursday’s spring training game against the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman provided an update on Giancarlo Stanton’s injury. The slugger is currently in New York undergoing testing for his elbow injuries, in addition to dealing with a personal issue.
Yankees fans have done nothing but wish the best for Stanton, but it’s definitely been hard for optimism to seize the day. Ever since Stanton arrived to Tampa, his condition has worsened and the updates have gotten more concerning and nebulous.
During Cashman’s session with the media, he relayed that Stanton received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in both his elbows and will be heading back down to spring training soon. However, there is still no timetable for his return to baseball activities and the Yankees have to “wait and see” if the injections improve his condition.
The concern here is that the Yankees seem to have fewer and fewer answers, leading us to believe whatever Stanton update comes next will be the death knell. Though Cashman said surgery is a “last resort” — it is pretty much always a last resort — there is still no clarity in regard to Stanton potentially requiring it.
The Yankees seem to be stuck in a holding pattern with their second-most important bat, and one they will absolutely need for a deep playoff run in 2025. Though the team is accustomed to missing Stanton for large portions of the regular season, his postseason presence is essential.
"Give it the time it needs, we'll clearly look forward to getting him back at some point, but obviously, in the near term, that won't be the case."
– Brian Cashman on Giancarlo Stanton's health pic.twitter.com/qPxpkhLjfQ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) March 6, 2025
Giancarlo Stanton Injury Update: Yankees drop latest news regarding star slugger
Here is the timeline of events regarding Stanton’s injury situation:
- Stanton arrives to spring training
- Stanton reports elbow soreness
- It is later revealed the soreness is in both elbows
- Stanton acknowledges he played through the issue last year, but his condition didn’t necessarily improve during the offseason started to bother him more weeks before spring training
- Stanton says he hasn’t swung a bat in almost a month
- Stanton is sent back to New York for further testing on his elbows
- Aaron Boone reveals Stanton returned to New York for a personal issue he couldn’t elaborate upon
- Aaron Judge says he hopes the Yankees have a healthy Stanton by “the middle of the season”
- The Yankees announce Stanton will start 2025 on the injured list
Then came Cashman’s update and, if you noticed a trend in the timeline, it’s now feeling more real than ever that the next announcement will be “Giancarlo Stanton needs elbow surgery.” Just a few months ago, Stanton was able to play through the issue and emerge as arguably the best postseason hitter of 2024. Now? He cannot swing a bat.
Giancarlo Stanton had a second round of PRP injections in New York and is expected to rejoin the Yankees this weekend, according to Brian Cashman, though he said Stanton won’t be able to do much in terms of baseball activities.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 6, 2025
And if Stanton is ruled out of a majority of the year, the Yankees will have to conduct damage control like no other. While Stanton’s regular season numbers as of late don’t necessarily jump off the page, his presence in the lineup is what transforms the Yankees offense. It’s the fear factor of pitchers having to face one of the biggest power threats in history.
The Yankees will not be able to replace that when they need it most. So, if you don’t already, start believing in a higher power and pray Stanton will be able to return as a driving force in 2025.
