Giancarlo Stanton leaves Yankees spring camp for medical testing in New York

Giancarlo Stanton being available for the New York Yankees on Opening Day is looking increasingly unlikely.

The Yankees slugger is heading back to New York for medical tests, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Whether or not the tests are for Stanton’s injured elbows isn’t certain, but the chances of that seem probable.

Stanton, 35, revealed last week upon reporting to spring training in Tampa that he hadn’t swung a bat in three to four weeks due to tendinitis in both of his elbows. He and Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that this issue goes back to last season.

The 16-year veteran had previously only participated in light agility drills at the Yankees’ camp. He didn’t appear for any of the Yankees’ media availability sessions on Sunday, leading to the report that Stanton flew back to New York for a Monday morning appointment with the team’s head physician, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, NJ.com reported.

Further testing and other treatment options are on the itinerary for Stanton. Surgery to correct the issue is also a possibility, but that is viewed as a last resort.

When asked last week why he didn’t have surgery during the offseason, Stanton simply said, “I don’t know.”

While throwing might not be a concern for Stanton, who played solely as a designated hitter last season, he said gripping a bat is also difficult right now. The condition is something Stanton will likely have to manage throughout the year.

Last season, Stanton batted .233 with a .773 OPS, 27 home runs, 20 doubles and 72 RBI in 114 games, the most he’s played since 2021. He was especially formidable during the Yankees’ postseason run to the World Series, hitting seven home runs with a 1.048 OPS. (Stanton was named ALCS MVP after hitting four homers against the Cleveland Guardians.)

The Yankees open the 2025 MLB season on March 27 against the Milwaukee Brewers.