Stanton (elbows) still unable to resume baseball activities

TAMPA, Fla. -- Giancarlo Stanton has been unable to resume baseball activities due to pain in both elbows, and the Yankees designated hitter has traveled to New York, reportedly for medical testing.

Speaking with reporters in Fort Myers, Fla., Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Stanton traveled to New York on Monday, but said the trip was “personal in nature.”

“I’m going to leave it at that for now,” Boone said. “That’s all I can comment on that.”

Boone has described Stanton’s issue as “akin to tennis elbow,” but recent developments suggest it may be a more significant concern. Yankees captain Aaron Judge indicated on Monday that Stanton could miss an early portion of the season due to the injury.

“We’ll see what the doctors say about what’s going on,” Judge said. “I’ve been checking with him every day, talking to him. We went out to dinner. He’s got a positive mindset with everything. … He has some downtime right now, just to get things right. I want a healthy G in the middle of the season.”

Boone said on Sunday that Stanton was continuing to receive treatment and that there was “nothing imminent” as far as baseball activities. NJ Advance Media reported Monday that Stanton had traveled to New York for consultation with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad.

Upon arriving at Yankees camp, Stanton said he hadn’t swung a bat for three to four weeks because of significant pain in both elbows. It was an issue that Stanton said affected him for most of the 2024 season, including the postseason, when he was named the MVP of the American League Championship Series against the Guardians.

“The toughest thing is when you try to battle these things during the season, because then you’re 50 percent, trying to battle,” Judge said. “If he needs to take care of something right now, I think it’s the best [time]. Take your rest, take your time. Do whatever you need to do now and be ready to go. If it’s the early part of the season, I’d rather have that than battle through something all the way until August and the end of the season.”

Last year marked Stanton’s seventh season with the Yankees. He slashed .233/.298/.475 with 20 doubles, 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 114 games.

“[Fans] will get on him about missing some games, but this guy is one of the toughest guys, hardest-working guys, I’ve ever seen,” Judge said. “He’s going to be fine when it comes down to it. It’s just a little bump in the road. We’d rather have this now than in the middle of the season.”