The New York Yankees will be without designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton for a considerable amount of time following a lower-body injury that he sustained recently. Following the Yankees' 3-1 loss in a series finale at home against the visiting Atlanta Braves, the former National League Most Valuable Player said that he's expecting to be out for around a month.
“Should be a four-week range, so as soon as possible, close to that time frame,” Stanton said (via Yes Network).
Giancarlo Stanton was put by the Yankees on the 10-day injured list on Sunday after he suffered a left hamstring strain during last Saturday's 8-3 win in the second leg of the series versus the Braves. The five-time All-Star hit a double in the fourth inning of that contest and seemed to hurt himself while rounding third base off of a double from teammate Gleyber Torres. Stanton was replaced in the game by Trent Grisham in the sixth inning before the Yankees announced that he would undergo MRI imaging on Sunday.
Asked about his level of frustration over his injury and subsequent absence, Stanton said that his entire focus is on getting healthy as soon as possible to help the Yankees again.
“My feelings don’t really matter in this time,” Stanton added. “It’s going to be about four weeks, I gotta do what I can to get there.”
Giancarlo Stanton's injury adds a headache for the struggling Yankees
Stanton's injury is obviously a downer for him and the Yankees, especially since he was in the middle of a good bounce-back campaign at the time he hurt his hamstring. After hitting just .191 and posting a .275 and a .420 on-base percentage and slugging percentage, respectively, back in 2023, Stanton has been slashing .246/.302/.492 so far in 2024.
He is on pace to surpass his total of 24 home runs and 60 RBIs in 2023 this season, where he already has 18 homers and 45 runs batted in through his first 69 games and 281 plate appearances. His 2024 OPS also dwarfs his 86 OPS+ last year. Although his strikeout rate in 2024 is worse than his 2023 number, Stanton balances it out with a higher home run rate to go along with a better 54.8 hard-hit percentage.
Stanton's current contract will not expire until at least the end of the 2027 MLB season as he has a player option for the 2028 campaign worth $15 million.
There is no clear replacement at the moment for Stanton on the Yankees' lineup. In the loss to the Braves, Aaron Judge took over as the designated hitter while Grisham started as the team's center fielder. However, the temporary replacement for Stanton as New York's DH could end up being JD Davis, who was acquired by the Yankees via a trade with the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. Before the trade, Davis was optioned by the Athletics on June 18. His arrival in New York could spark a turnaround for Davis and help the Yankees keep their head above water during Stanton's absence. In 39 games and 135 plate appearances for the Athletics this season, Davis hit .236/.304/.366 with four home runs and five RBIs.
The Yankees dropped to 52-38 following their latest loss to the Braves, but their record is still good enough for No. 1 in the American League East division standings — just 1.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.
New York, which has lost four of its last five games, will look to turn things around with a two-game series in Queens against the New York Mets that starts this coming Tuesday.
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