TAMPA – A year ago, Giancarlo Stanton arrived at spring training with two sore elbows that would postpone his season until mid-June.
That double elbow tendonitis, he reiterated Tuesday, “isn’t going anywhere.” But things appear to be in a much more manageable place for the Yankees’ 36-year-old slugger at the moment, clearing the way for him to at least start camp as a full participant.
The challenge now will be to stay healthy year-round so Stanton can make his presence felt in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup as much as possible.
“There will always be a need for maintenance,” Stanton said Tuesday after the second practice with the full team. “But [the elbows] has not hindered me in any work [in the offseason] and that is the most important thing.”
Both Stanton and manager Aaron Boone said the designated hitter has been moving well through the first few days of camp, with Boone saying he’s looking “really thin.”
Still, Boone indicated he would likely slow Stanton down in Grapefruit League games — potentially pushing back his spring debut by a week — to be safe, as he often does with veterans.
That proactivity will extend into the regular season, with Boone planning to give Stanton semi-regular days off, as he did last year, to give him the best chance to stay healthy for the long season.
“I think we had a good schedule there,” said Stanton, who has a history of soft tissue injuries in his legs. “There were times when I might have wanted to be there, but I understand the process and the way we got a good rotation of guys on offense. So it was good.
“I think it’s an endless adjustment of the best way to be the best and to stay out there.”
At least in Boone’s mind, that also includes keeping the outfield in play for Stanton, who may see some games on the field this spring.
Ideally, the Yankees won’t have to actually play him there this season, Boone acknowledged, but they want the option and also believe there is an added benefit to it.
“I think if he does his outfield work all year long — even at times when he doesn’t play for weeks — when he’s out there and moving around, I think it will serve him well,” Boone said.
After being slowed by elbow issues, Stanton, who made 18 starts in the field last year — all to allow Aaron Judge to DH when he returned from a flexion injury — enjoyed his most productive regular season since 2021.
He hit .273 with 24 home runs and a .944 OPS in 77 games, which offers hope for what he could still do over the course of a full season if he avoids the injured list.
That will be especially important this season given how much the Yankees need his right-handed bat in the middle of a lineup dominated by left-handed bats.
For now, the goal remains simple as Stanton enters the penultimate year of his contract, still looking for his first ring.
“The point of being a Yankee is being a champion,” he said. “Without that, there will always be a sting.”
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