Stanton's rehab setback
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton's already difficult season took another turn for the worse Saturday, when manager Aaron Boone announced that Stanton had suffered a "moderate grade" strain to his left calf. Stanton was in the middle of rehabbing from a right calf injury and was nearing a return, but he fell while running the bases earlier in the week and strained the other calf, according to Boone.
Boone told reporters that while the team is not ruling anything out, the timing is challenging. "We're obviously at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know," Boone said, as quoted by multiple outlets. The injury could keep Stanton out for the rest of the 2026 season, a possibility several reports carried.
This is the latest setback in what the Yankees have described in more than one reported context as a frustrating year. Stanton, who is in his 17th MLB season and ninth with the Yankees, has been out since mid-April, when he suffered two separate right calf strains. He has played in only 24 games this season, all as designated hitter, batting .256 with three home runs and 14 RBIs, according to stats shared by Heavy. and other reports.
A history of injury
Injuries have been a recurring theme for Stanton, 36, over recent years. CBS Sports reported that he has been limited to 606 of 1,160 regular-season games since 2019. Yardbarker noted that since the start of the 2022 season, Stanton had appeared in 426 of a possible 810 games, 52.5 percent. nj.com, in a more detailed tally, said he has played in only 52.2 percent of the Yankees' games across the last eight seasons, including 11 different injured-list stints.
His latest injury began in late April, when he strained his right calf while jogging to first base against the Houston Astros on April 24, per nj.com. That injury initially was considered low-grade, but it proved stubborn, keeping him sidelined for more than four months.
A moderate calf strain typically costs a player three to six weeks, but at this point in the season—the Yankees are now with about a month remaining in the regular season—Boone was hesitant to give a clear return. He said Stanton would continue to work and try to get right, but "you also never know."
Contract and future questions
The injury raises questions about the rest of Stanton's contract, which is the final season of a 13-year, $325 million deal signed in 2015, according to a breakdown by ESPN (which called it a then-record contract) and pre-printers by CBS Sports and other outlets.
nj keeps remaining money, noting the Yankees owe Stanton $12 million in the final year, while the Marlins—who still own a piece of their marquee wish—are paying $10 million this year and next year, plus a $10 million buyout on the 2028 option. The Marlins' contribution in total is $30 million, with $10 million slated for 2026, 2027, and 2028, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch's details that Heavy. and other sources cited.
A separate report from Yardbarker said Stanton has a $19 million club option for 2028, whereas CBS Sports and TSN both listed a $25 million option with a $2 million buyout for 2028. The numbers appear to differ, with some reports referencing the original deal and others adjusting for deferred money. The 2028 club option appears to be part of Stanton's contract, received multiple reports.
Regardless the financial specifics, this is likely Stanton's last season in New York, especially if he is unable to return. The Athletic's Brendan Kuty, appearing on Foul Territory, said Stanton has a lot to play for, including the 40 home runs he would need to reach 500. 'He's a proud veteran, he's accomplished a lot in this game, and he thinks he has more in the tank,' Kuty said, pointing to his 456 career home runs, which make him the current active leader in home runs.
Team context
The news about Stanton arrived along with comes with the Yankees reportedly dealing with other injuries. First baseman Aaron Judge has been out since May 31 with a stress fracture in a rib, though Boone announced Saturday that Judge has hit off a tee, run, and done strength exercises, and is responding well. There is still confidence he returns this season, Boone said, according to a report carried by Heavy.
Cody Bellinger is coming back from a strained left hamstring, and the Yankees made a roster move to make room for him. They optioned Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Saturday's 4-3 loss to Toronto, a move that Bellinger's activation was expected to follow. Bellinger was officially activated and played Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a run scored in the 8-3 ballgame that took two of three in the series.
The Yankees, as a team, are in a playoff chase. They had been reported heading into Sunday with a 73-56 record, second in the AL East, three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. They also hold the second AL Wild Card spot, with leads varying from three games to 3.5 games over the Red Sox, depending on the date.
Stanton's teammates expressed support after the news and told reporters they hoped to recover. JazChisholm Jr. called Stanton "a substantial piece for our team... We really want him back, and kind of need him back." Austin Wells said, "You feel terrible for him," and said he hopes Stanton can get through it and return.
Perspectives
The Yankees are keeping their options open on Stanton's season, manager Aaron Boone said: "We're not ruling anything out." He described Stanton's efforts to return as ongoing, but allowed that the calendar makes it difficult.
Stanton's teammates are on the record that they want him and need him back on the field. Jazz Chisholm Jr. stated that Stanton is a substantial part of the club and Austin Wells said he hopes get healthy enough to return.
Meanwhile, pundits and reporters have weighed in on the contractual and career implications of the injury. The Athletic's Brendan Kuty said Stanton has real incentives to keep playing, including cracking 500 career home runs, while the finer points of his contract—option years, buyouts, and salary offsets—have been examined by reporting from MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, and several Yankees beat reporters.