BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Because the Yankees ready for his or her collection opener in Kansas Metropolis on Tuesday, Giancarlo Stanton readied for a sport over 1,100 miles away.
The designated hitter, who missed all of spring coaching because of tennis elbow accidents, started a rehab task with Double-A Somerset. The Patriots had him batting second in opposition to the Portland Sea Canines, Boston’s Double-A affiliate, at TD Financial institution Ballpark.
“Ready to rock,” Stanton mentioned after taking batting observe with a number of of the Yankees’ prime prospects, together with George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones and Rafael Flores. “It’s been a long time coming, so it’s good to get rolling.”
Here is one other spherical of BP from Giancarlo Stanton.
George Lombard Jr., Rafael Flores and Spencer Jones are amongst these watching/in his group. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/MlBq5rQz4q
Stanton, anticipating his first sport motion since his explosive 2024 postseason, deliberate on getting 3-to-5 at-bats on Tuesday. The 35-year-old, who doesn’t play the sector anymore, wasn’t certain about his plans past that, however he’d prefer to play in back-to-back video games earlier than his rehab task ends.
“I just gotta get some real at-bats in a game, and then let me figure it out,” mentioned Stanton, who additionally handled a calf difficulty within the spring. “However this isn’t the place I wish to be, belief me.
“This will tell me how close I am. 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.”
Requested if he might be a part of the Yankees for his or her upcoming weekend collection in Boston, the oft-injured Stanton replied, “I don’t know. I’m not sure.”
In Kansas Metropolis, Aaron Boone mentioned that Stanton can also be anticipated to play on Wednesday, per The Bergen Report’s Pete Caldera. The Yankees will then focus on plans for the weekend on Thursday.
Stanton spent a lot of the previous two weeks in Tampa, the place he was in a position to face pitchers and settle right into a routine on the Yankees’ participant growth advanced.
He’s additionally been hitting off high-velocity Trajekt machines for a while, however that’s not the identical as moving into an actual batter’s field.
“It’s a really good help timing-wise and movement-wise, but there’s that next step where you don’t know what’s coming,” Stanton mentioned. “You gotta sit down. You gotta wait. You don’t know exactly when you’re gonna be up. You can imagine a game situation, but you’re not actually there.”
The final time followers noticed Stanton on a discipline, he was terrorizing the Yankees’ postseason opponents as they superior to the World Collection final October.
The slugger, who leads energetic gamers with 429 profession homers, slashed .273/.339/.709 with seven longballs and 16 RBI within the playoffs. His 4 homers within the ALCS earned him MVP honors for the collection.
Previous to that, Stanton loved a considerably resurgent common season, hitting .233/.298/.475 with 27 homers and 72 RBI as Aaron Choose and Juan Soto took centerstage.
Stanton’s 2024 success adopted two disappointing campaigns and got here regardless of his elbows, which bothered him for many of final season. He expects to play by ache transferring ahead, and his elbows would require remedy.
Stanton didn’t element what upkeep will appear like, solely saying he’ll need to see how he feels when he wakes up every morning.
“I’ll just figure it out as it goes,” Stanton mentioned. He’s beforehand said that if he’s on the sector, he’s good to go.
With Stanton sidelined, Ben Rice has been the Yankees’ main DH this season. The sophomore, who can even play first and catch, has posted Stantonian exit velocities whereas hitting .241/.327/.497 with 12 homers and 25 RBI over 56 video games.
The 26-year-old’s efficiency has definitely impressed Stanton.
“It’s been amazing to watch. Just crushing the ball. Hitting it hard, even if they’re hard outs,” he mentioned. “It’s been cool to see.”
Stanton’s return will presumably result in extra defensive reps for Rice, who has solely logged 72.2 innings within the discipline this season. Nonetheless, it stays to be seen precisely when the Yankees should make room for his or her future Corridor of Famer.
“I haven’t been in a game, so we want to be two-thirds of the way in,” Stanton famous earlier than Tuesday’s contest when requested to check his task to spring coaching. “That’s the mindset. Then we’ll go from there.”
Initially Revealed: June 10, 2025 at 6:36 PM EDT
