Spring training has just begun, but the New York Yankees are already facing a major issue. On Sunday, manager Aaron Boone announced He is dealing with an elbow injury that bothered him last season and could sideline him for Opening Day. “He was working out during the offseason but eventually shut things down to get treatment,” Boone said, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “We don’t want to rush it. If we can get to a good place and manage it throughout the year, that’s ideal. But we’re not going to push things too soon.”
Stanton described the pain in his elbow as “very high” and “definitely more than just soreness.” Boone compared it to “tennis elbow,” and Stanton elaborated, saying, “Tennis elbow or whatever they call it, there are tears in the tendon. So if you’re asking when it felt good or bad, there’s always some level of pain—you just have to manage it. Right now, the smart move is to give it time.”
Despite dealing with the injury last season, the 35-year-old slugger managed to hit .233 with 27 home runs and a .773 OPS over 114 games. However, he also struck out 143 times while drawing just 38 walks. Stanton has three years and $86 million left on his contract, with the Miami Marlins set to cover $20 million of his remaining salary over the final two years.