Giancarlo Stanton’s elbows are still bad, VERY bad

Death, taxes, Giancarlo Stanton spending significant time on the injured list.

These three certainties exist not only in life, but baseball. Stanton, despite devastating power and 453 career home runs, cannot stay off of the trainer’s table. He has appeared in 140 or more games a year just four times in 16 seasons. Last season, tennis elbow/tendinitis in both elbows limited Stanton to 77 games, though he did hit .273 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI and a strong 158 wRC+.

Cut to today, and it’s hard to imagine Stanton not missing extended time once again in 2026. A new report from Randy Miller of NJ.com states Stanton is still not recovered and his elbow problems worse than imagined.

“I can’t open a bottle,” Stanton said. “I can’t open a bag of chips … a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”

And yet, between the extended rest he’s gotten in spring training—Stanton has yet to play in any Grapefruit League games—a full season is still the goal. Stanton hasn’t accomplished that since 2017, his MVP season in Miami.

Which means that as expected, Giancarlo Stanton will prove to be one of the most frustrating players on the Yankees roster. When he’s healthy, he’s still captivating and fascinating to watch, that natural raw power all over the field. Particularly against left-handed pitching, batting .278 against southpaws for his career.

Stanton also has 18 career postseason home runs, all with the Yankees. For a .254 career hitter in the playoffs, he sure has some Mr. October in him!

But when Giancarlo Stanton is on the injured list, the loss is palpable. He still protects Aaron Judge in the lineup, even if he’s stuck in a loop of either homering, walking, or striking out. He looks washed, then goes on a tear.

One can’t help but feel a little bad for youngster Jasson Dominguez. Imagine what he could do in the DH spot. Even with Stanton getting several days off now and into the season, per Miller’s report, it’s hard to imagine him being benched outright. Or even demoted to platoon duty against lefties.

Well, depending on how Stanton’s elbows and the rest of his body fare this year, general manager Brian Cashman has a decision to make. Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million deal signed with the Marlins in 2015 has two guaranteed years left. Stanton earns $19 million in 2026 and $15 million next year. By comparison, Stanton earned $32 million a year each of the last three seasons.

Suddenly, could the Yankees have options? Imagine not having to rely on a role player, prospect, or retread to cover Stanton’s power in the lineup. Less of an onus on Judge and Cody Bellinger to produce in his absence. Less reliance on Trent Grisham hitting 30 or more home runs again.

What does matter is that Giancarlo Stanton, for all of his talent, still isn’t fully healthy and probably never will be for the rest of his career. He’s made his call and declined the two-month recovery from elbow suegery. He’s gonna play if he can and a full season is the goal.

How much longer does manager Aaron Boone have to call the guy “the poster child of mentally tough” before we address the elephant in the room? Namely that at age 36, even with his raw power, he might not be an everyday player anymore?

This normally wouldn’t be an issue. But being 36 years old and unable to open neither a bottle nor a bag of chips? That’s a red injury flag we usually reserve for the more physically demanding NFL.

Not for Stanton. He’s “mental toughness” for playing through the pain, even at the cost of pain to his own team.