TAMPA, Fla. — When Giancarlo Stanton was adding to his amazing postseason power resume last October during tjhe Yankees’ World Series run, he was constantly in excruciating pain.
His elbows, both of them, have tears that affect his everyday life and made it very difficult to keep playing.
“Pain wise, for sure,” Stanton said Monday morning before the Yankees’ spring training practice. “But the consideration of not going out there? Absolutely not.”
Stanton, 35, hoped resting up and treatment during the offseason would calm his elbows down, but he started hitting a few weeks ago and then had to stop before the pain that he managed last season became worse.
And so, Stanton showed up to Steinbrenner Field for the Yankees’ first full-squad workout still in a shutdown mode from baseball activities and unsure when he’ll start up.
What’s Stanton feeling?
“It’s definitely not just soreness,” he said.
Stanton gave an update on his injury one day after manager Aaron Boone announced on Sunday that his veteran designated hitter would be behind this spring due to elbow pain that the Yankees likened to tennis elbow.
Stanton’s hope is that more rest during spring training will prevent a season-opening stint on the injured list, but everything will be determined by how his treatment works.
“A lot of forearm work, a lot of tissue work, a lot of exercises overall,” Stanton said. “Look, tennis elbow or whatever they call it is tears in your tendon.”
Surgery on one or both elbows could be an option at some point.
“If you blow it up, which overdoing would,” Stanton said. “It’s not what you want, but that would be the same if anything were to tear off.”
This issue began early last season in one elbow, then the other about two months later. Despite hurting every day, Stanton rebounded from a career-worse 2023 to have a productive season. In 114 games for a division winner, he hit .233 with 27 homers, 72 RBI and a .773 OPS.
Stanton helped carry the offense in the playoffs with seven homers and 16 RBI in 14 games to run his career postseason numbers to 18 homers and 40 RBI in 41 games.
“I’m just happy I was able to be out there,” Stanton said.
That’s the hope for this season.
“I’m definitely behind, but that’s just a matter of being ready for a full go today as opposed to in a little bit,” Stanton said. “We have five, six weeks here. It’ll be a good ramp up from there.
“It’s a manageable thing, and that’s how last year and this year will go.”
Maybe.
For now, Opening Day definitely is in jeopardy. Will he be better or worse in a month? Nobody knows for sure.
“We’ll see how that goes,” Stanton said.