Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton Has 'Severe' Elbow Injuries; Surgery Would Be Season-Ending

The injury woes for New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton seem to be getting worse with each new piece of information that comes out.

Stanton told reporters on Saturday he has "severe" injuries in both of his elbows and his season would be over if he has to have surgery to repair the damage.

Stanton hasn't appeared in a game so far this spring due to the elbow issues. He attributed the problems to "bat adjustments" he made during the 2024 season

There's no indication at this point when Stanton might be able to resume baseball activities.

Injuries are piling up for the Yankees less than three weeks away from the start of the regular season.

General manager Brian Cashman announced on Thursday that surgery would be a last-resort option for Stanton. He also revealed that reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil will miss at least three months due to a strained lat.

DJ LeMahieu said that same day he will be out of action for several weeks due to a calf strain suffered in his first appearance of spring training on March 1.

Gerrit Cole told reporters on Saturday he's "concerned" about his right elbow as he undergoes diagnostic imaging after experiencing discomfort following his most recent spring start against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

"We have an initial idea, but we’re going to wait to see exactly what everybody says before we come to our conclusion," Cole said.

This is the second consecutive year that Cole has had an elbow issue in spring training. He did miss more than two months at the start of the 2024 season due to inflammation and edema in his right elbow, but it didn't require any surgical procedure.

Durability has never been a hallmark of Stanton's career. He's only reached the 140-game mark four times in 15 seasons. The last time he hit that mark was his first season with the Yankees in 2018 (158).

When Stanton does play, he still boasts game-changing power. The five-time All-Star hit 27 homers in 114 games last season. He had seven homers and slugged .709 in the postseason to help the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.

If Stanton has to start the season on the injured list, the Yankees would likely turn to Ben Rice as their primary designated hitter. The 26-year-old had seven home runs in 50 games during the 2024 campaign.