The Yankees will begin their season without their DH and prominent slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who continues his attempt to work his way back from a case of tennis elbows that has sidelined him all spring.
Prior to Thursday’s season opener against the Brewers, Aaron Boone provided some optimism in terms of Stanton’s progress, revealing that he has begun swinging a bat as he tries to return with rest and PRP injections rather than surgery.
“He’s doing pretty well,” Boone told reporters. “I think we’ve all been encouraged by the past couple of weeks. Still no timetable on anything, but he’s been able to swing the bat. Feel like there’s been some steady improvement day after day.”
Stanton had begun feeling elbow discomfort late last season, when he went on yet another playoff tear to help the Yanks to their first World Series appearance in 15 years. The offseason did not make the issue go away, and he has been carefully working his way back ever since. Stanton described the case of tennis elbow in both elbows as “severe,” and surgery wasn’t completely out of the question. But if he continues to respond well to the PRP injections, perhaps the Yankees can avoid the worst-case scenario.
Still, Stanton is now swinging for the first time in months, so he will still need a long ramp-up before he is making his 2025 debut.
“Encouraged about at least the past couple weeks,” Boone said. “But still have a ways to go.”