Stanton (elbows) set to rejoin Yanks camp, surgery viewed as 'last resort'

TAMPA, Fla. -- Giancarlo Stanton received a second round of platelet-rich plasma injections in his ailing elbows on Thursday and is expected to re-join Yankees camp this weekend, according to general manager Brian Cashman, though it is unknown when the designated hitter will be ready to resume baseball activities.

Stanton has been away from the team since Feb. 24, when he traveled to New York; the Yankees later said Stanton was attending to a matter ¡°private in nature¡± and unrelated to his elbows. Stanton has been unable to swing a bat since mid-January due to the elbow issue, which Stanton has said bothered him for most of the 2024 season.

¡°The complaints didn¡¯t come up until right before camp,¡± Cashman said. ¡°Ultimately, he was dealing with it at the end of last year and obviously thought we were in a good place. I think he was feeling like we were in a good place, but then it reared its ugly head about three weeks before camp, is my understanding.

¡°So now we¡¯re dealing with it. We¡¯ll give it the time it needs. We clearly look forward to getting him back at some point, but obviously in the near term, that won¡¯t be the case.¡±

Stanton, 35, posted a .233/.298/.475 slash line in 114 games last season, tallying 27 home runs, 20 doubles and 72 RBIs. He was a force in the postseason, belting seven homers with 16 RBIs, earning MVP honors in the American League Championship Series against the Guardians.

The slugger has said he expects to play through some level of discomfort this season when he returns. Cashman characterized corrective surgery, which could have a three-month recovery period, as ¡°a last resort.¡±

¡°I can¡¯t rule out surgery, but I know it¡¯s not recommended in the front end of this thing,¡± Cashman said. ¡°If you have a number of different failed attempts, then obviously you start looking at different ways of intervention.¡±

With Stanton unavailable, captain Aaron Judge is likely to see increased time in the DH role; the Yanks¡¯ Grapefruit League lineup on Thursday against the Twins could be a preview of the Opening Day order. Other DH choices in camp include Ben Rice and non-roster invitee Dom Smith.

Diagnosis confirmed
Luis Gil traveled to New York for additional testing this week, which Cashman said confirmed the initial diagnosis of a high-grade right lat strain.

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is scheduled to receive a PRP injection on Thursday and will not throw for at least six weeks. Cashman said the Yankees are planning on an absence of at least three months.

¡°He¡¯s certainly important to us, but thankfully, as long as we handle it right, we¡¯ll get him back sometime in the summer,¡± Cashman said.

Gil¡¯s injury opened a spot in the rotation for veteran Marcus Stroman, joining a staff headlined by Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rod¨®n and Clarke Schmidt. Other depth starting pitching options in camp include Will Warren, Carlos Carrasco and Allan Winans.

¡°You can never have enough, and hopefully we have what we need,¡± Cashman said.

DJ shelved
DJ LeMahieu underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a strain of the infielder¡¯s left calf, according to Cashman. The injury takes LeMahieu out of the competition to serve as the Yankees¡¯ Opening Day third baseman, as LeMahieu told reporters he will not resume baseball activities for ¡°a couple weeks.¡±

Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza are the leading candidates at third base; if one does not convincingly grab the job, Cashman said manager Aaron Boone could ¡°multiplayer it¡± with his choices.