Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: It's 'Unacceptable' for Me to Be Injured So Frequently

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton sounded off on the hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Stanton said it's "unacceptable" that his body is letting him down "this often."

"The team relies on me and I can't have this continue to happen and put us in a tough spot weren't prepared for. It's my duty and responsibility to be out there," he added.

Stanton was placed on the injured list Sunday after leaving Saturday's win over the Minnesota Twins.

Per The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, Stanton is expected to miss four to six weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Injuries have been a frequent problem for Stanton throughout his entire MLB career, but especially since he was acquired by the Yankees.

After playing 158 games in 2018, his first season in New York, Stanton missed 256 regular-season games over the next four years. Some of his injuries during that span have included a strained hamstring in 2020, quad strain in 2021 and calf strain in 2022.

It's not a surprise that the 33-year-old has become less durable as he's gotten older. The five-time All-Star only played more than 130 games three times in seven seasons with the Miami Marlins from 2011 to '17.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone will likely use a rotation of players at designated hitter until Stanton returns. Gleyber Torres and Willie Calhoun have started at DH in the past two games.

When Stanton does play, he's still one of the best power hitters in MLB. He hit four homers with a .558 slugging percentage in 52 at-bats this season before suffering the hamstring injury.

In 110 games last season, Stanton hit 31 homers. His 12.8 at-bats per homer was a better rate than that of Yordan Álvarez (13.1), Pete Alonso (14.8) and Paul Goldschmidt (16.2).

The Yankees have proved they can get by in the regular season without Stanton for long stretches. But his presence in the lineup significantly raises their offensive ceiling because of his prodigious power.