At 7:09 a.m. on Sunday, the New York Mets posted a photo of Juan Soto arriving at spring training on the first day position players were scheduled to report. Soto showed up at the Port St. Lucie facility 108 days after his non-committal response about returning to the New York Yankees during a chaotic postgame media scrum in the clubhouse following their heartbreaking Game 5 World Series loss.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Florida, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed to reporters in Tampa that Giancarlo Stanton had arrived at camp with injuries to both elbows, describing the condition as “tennis elbow.” According to sources like the Mayo Clinic, tennis elbow is typically caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons. Stanton’s availability for the season opener on March 27 is now in question—a date so early that it coincides with the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, just hours after Gerrit Cole is set to throw the first pitch of the season.
Injuries to both elbows are particularly concerning for a power hitter like Stanton, who relies heavily on his arms to swing the bat. Stanton has played in 123 consecutive regular-season games and all 14 postseason games, making his durability even more critical. While it’s fortunate that the issue surfaced at the start of camp, it’s also worth noting that Stanton managed to perform well despite the ailment last season.
Boone explained to reporters that Stanton had been dealing with the elbow issue, particularly during the second half of the season, and played through it. “It’s something he maintained and kind of played through, especially the second half of the year,” Boone said. “We want to make sure we give it as much time as possible, so we’ll probably slow-play him a little bit. It’s just something we don’t want to rush. We know we’ll have to manage it throughout the year, but we don’t want to force anything too early.”
The elbow issue might explain Stanton’s drop in performance, as he hit .246 in 69 games before the All-Star break but only .210 in 45 games afterward. His playing time also decreased after the break due to a strained left hamstring that sidelined him from June 23 through July 28.
Despite these challenges, Stanton remained a clutch postseason performer, a role he has consistently filled since joining the Yankees in 2018. While Juan Soto’s ALCS series-clinching home run was a standout moment, Stanton’s postseason contributions were equally, if not more, impactful. In 12 postseason series spanning 41 games, Stanton has batted .265 with 18 home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .994 OPS. He has hit at least .250 in half of those series and recorded multiple homers in five of them.
Boone emphasized Stanton’s importance to the team, saying, “A lot of people forget how good his regular season was and how productive he was. He was such a presence, whether in the cleanup spot or fifth in the lineup, night in and night out. He was a threat all the time. His presence in the middle of the lineup was huge, especially behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who were historic.”
The Yankees have acknowledged Stanton’s injury-prone history, with GM Brian Cashman admitting as much during the 2023 GM meetings after an 82-80 season in which Stanton missed two months with a hamstring injury and was limited to 101 games and 415 plate appearances. Last spring, Stanton arrived at camp with a leaner build, acknowledging the need to improve his mobility and stay on the field. Now, as he enters his age-35 season with at least three years remaining on his contract, the Yankees hope this won’t mark a seventh straight season with an injured list stint.
With the excitement surrounding Soto’s arrival on a 15-year, $765 million deal and the Yankees falling just two wins short of a Subway Series rematch, the team is eager to avoid another season where Stanton adds to his frustrating tally of 266 missed games out of 708. They also hope he can stay healthy enough to chase the 71 home runs needed to reach 500 in his career.
Boone added, “Maintenance involves treatment with available modalities. You play through some discomfort, but the goal is to manage it as best as possible and take advantage of off days when they come.”
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