TAMPA — There’s still no timetable as to when Giancarlo Stanton might pick up a bat again — let alone play in a game — with the slugger saying Saturday that the injuries to both elbows are considered “severe.”
Stanton said he was hopeful the upcoming third round of PRP injections will put him on the road to recovery enough that he can return to the field at some point — and he ruled out a potential surgery at this point, noting it would sideline him for the entire season.
After being away from the team in New York for over a week due to a personal matter, Stanton returned to Steinbrenner Field Friday and said the upcoming third round of injections is “protocol” for the tennis elbow (tendinitis) he has in each elbow.
Asked the best case scenario for when he might resume baseball activities, Stanton said, “I’m not too sure. It is considered severe in both elbows, so I’m gonna get to a point with pain tolerance and go from there.”
He added he likely won’t be 100 percent when he gets to that point, but that the discomfort is significantly higher than what he dealt with last season, when he was still able to have success in the postseason.
As for surgery, Stanton said that would not guarantee an elimination of the injury and would also lead to an extended absence.
On the possibility he’d have to deal with these issues the rest of his career, Stanton said, “Ideally, no. But I’m in a line of work where I’ve got to use them at a high level every day. Who knows? Let’s hope I’m on the downward slope of [the injury’s impact].”
Stanton also indicated he has seen improvement in the elbows following the first two rounds of injections: “Definitely better.”
Following the next — and presumably final — round, he will have some more downtime before hopefully beginning a continuous ramp-up to being able to swing.
For now, though, in addition to feeling pain in the elbows, the injuries are impacting his ability to grip a bat, which is why he’s unable to play.
“Pain is pain,” Stanton said. “To deal with that is one thing. I’m fine in that aspect. I can prepare my mind every day to do what you’ve got to do.”
But they are able to measure how he’s gripping a bat and the numbers indicate Stanton is not able to swing like he normally does.
Stanton said he doesn’t know exactly what caused the injury last season, but indicated it had something to do with adjustments he made to his bat, without elaborating.
Both Stanton and the team believed the issue had cleared up during the offseason, but the pain returned when he began to prepare for spring training and he hasn’t swung a bat in nearly six weeks.
He’ll remain out indefinitely, as the Yankees deal with injuries to starters Gerrit Cole (elbow), Luis Gil (lat strain) and DJ LeMahieu (calf), among others.
Stanton declined to put a timetable on when he might be able to get back.
“Let’s finish the treatment and go from there,’’ Stanton said.
“I absolutely hate this,’’ he said of being out. “I’m gonna get back as soon as possible. … I don’t want it to be a far, extended period of time.”
Without Stanton, the Yankees could have Aaron Judge DH more often, which would put Trent Grisham in the lineup in center field and Cody Bellinger in right.
The team is high on Ben Rice’s bat and he could be a left-handed option, especially if the Yankees carry three catchers.
Lefty-swinging Dom Smith also has been solid, but he’s not on the 40-man roster and the Yankees don’t want their lineup to be overly left-handed.
From the right side, Everson Pereira has impressed in camp, but the 23-year-old is coming off Tommy John surgery and didn’t perform well in a short stint in the majors in 2023.
