Yanks' Stanton suffers setback, return in jeopardy

• 

  Jorge CastilloAug 22, 2026, 12:42 PM ET

  Close

  ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK -- New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton recently suffered a "moderate grade" left calf strain while rehabbing from a right calf strain, putting his return this season in jeopardy, manager Aaron Boone announced Saturday.

Boone said Stanton, who has been on the injured list since April, was nearing a return before he sustained the injury when he fell running the bases this week.

"What that means moving forward, we're not ruling anything out," Boone said. "He'll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available. Obviously, we're at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know."

Cody Bellinger avoided any such setbacks in his recovery from a hamstring strain and will come off the injured list Sunday. Bellinger, who was placed on the injured list on July 26, emerged healthy after playing in two games on rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He went hitless in three at-bats and tested the hamstring over six innings in left field Friday after going 1-for-3 as the designated hitter Thursday.

"That was good to get those in there to feel good," Bellinger said.

Bellinger, along with Stanton and Aaron Judge, is one of three crucial position players the Yankees expected to bolster a struggling offense over the next few weeks. Judge, who has been out since May 31 with a stress fracture in a rib, recently started hitting off a tee on top of throwing, running, and lifting.

"He seems to be in a good place," Boone said. "For him now it's just about getting the body built up. As much as the injury, it's also about the inactivity of getting the strength and the endurance of the reps and things like that. But he seems to be doing well."

That was the case for Stanton, 36, until this week in what has turned into a nightmare year.

Stanton played in just 24 games -- all as a designated hitter -- this season before suffering the initial calf strain running the bases against the Houston Astros on April 24. He was placed on the injured list three days later. The Yankees described it as a low-grade strain at the time -- Boone said it didn't "look too serious" -- but Stanton was still on the IL in mid-June when he suffered another strain in the left calf running the bases during his rehab process.

The potential Hall of Famer, whose 456 career home runs is tops among active players, is under contract for $25 million next season with a $25 million club option for 2028 that carries a $10 million buyout.

"Obviously, bummed for him," Boone said. "Been working his tail off every single day here trying to get this thing right. I think you all know how bad he wants to be on that field and contributing to a championship. Obviously, that's disappointing. Hopefully we just continue to work to get him right and healthy."

The Yankees acquired Stanton, one of the top home run hitters of his generation, from the Miami Marlins after he won the 2017 National League MVP with 59 home runs. He appeared in 158 games in that first season in New York, belting 38 home runs with a .852 OPS.

But a variety of injuries have hampered Stanton since then, limiting him to 114 or fewer games in six of the last seven non-shortened seasons as his time in the outfield dwindled. He played in just 77 games last season after beginning the season on the injured list with tendonitis in both of his elbows. He made his season debut June 16 and starred in the batter's box for the remainder of the season. He finished the regular season with 24 home runs and a .944 OPS in 77 games before starting in the Yankees' seven postseason games.

This year, however, he might not be part of the equation as the Yankees push for their first World Series title since 2009. "He's in our hitters meetings every day," Boone said. "He's in the trenches with the guys as much as he can be. I admire him so much and who he is and the way he goes about things. And the same rings true for everyone in that room. They look up to him, they respect him. When he speaks, you listen.

"It means a lot to him to be able to go to this, and he understands who he is and what he means to the team when he's in there. I think he has the utmost respect and admiration of everyone in that room, and especially me."