After reaching the World Series last season and falling short against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees are set to begin their 2025 season on Thursday with a matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium.
However, they will be without their powerful, though frequently injured, slugger, Giancarlo Stanton. Over the past six seasons, Stanton has missed 353 out of a possible 858 games due to various injuries. This spring, he reported pain in both elbows and has yet to resume baseball activities, even as the season draws near.
Sportswriters Nick Mongiovi and Cooper Albers of amNY predicted on Wednesday that Stanton may miss the entire 2025 season. This outlook contradicts an earlier prediction by Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, who had hoped for Stanton’s return by Memorial Day, May 26. However, the more pessimistic view now seems more plausible.
Stanton has undergone three rounds of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in his elbows, which have provided some relief but haven’t fully resolved the issue, as he still hasn’t resumed baseball activities and is out indefinitely. Additionally, he is also dealing with a calf muscle strain.
Mongiovi and Albers expressed concern over how the Yankees and manager Aaron Boone have handled Stanton’s injuries. They noted the extended time Stanton has spent sidelined and the ongoing struggles with his health, leading them to believe he will miss all of 2025.
Stanton is entering the 11th year of the 13-year, $325 million contract he signed with the Miami Marlins before being traded to the Yankees in December 2017. On Wednesday, the Yankees placed Stanton on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, though Bleeding Yankee Blue’s Robert Casey suggested it wouldn’t be surprising if he were moved to the 60-day IL. The Yankees’ handling of injuries has often caused frustration among fans, so this possibility wouldn’t shock many.
Stanton has been relying on PRP injections to address the unexplained elbow issues, but if surgery is ultimately required, his 2025 season could be effectively over.
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