Giancarlo Stanton to Rehab with Somerset Patriots
Despite missing most of the year with tennis elbow, Giancarlo Stanton is nearing a return, starting in Somerset.
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 28: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees singles in the sixth inning during Game 3 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, October 28, 2024 in New York, New York.
(Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)Giancarlo Stanton is hoping to return to a Major League field rather soon. The moment he sets foot on the grounds of TD Bank Ballpark Tuesday night, weather permitting, when the Yankees' double-A affiliate, Somerset Patriots, play host to the Red Sox's double-A affiliate, Portland SeaDogs, is the first step.
Stanton has been out since Spring Training when he was diagnosed with tennis elbow, or more scientifically called right and left elbow epicondylitis.
It was a tough break for Stanton and the Yankees, considering he was coming off a spectacular postseason in which he hit .273 with seven homers and 16 RBI, including mashing four homers in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.
While former Yankee Juan Soto had the game-winning homer in Game 5 that sent the Bombers to the Fall Classic, Stanton rightfully won ALCS MVP honors for his efforts all series.
The last three seasons have been rough on Stanton, who has struggled to stay healthy. He hit .233 in 2024 with 27 homers and 72 RBI. Before that, he hit .211 and .191 respectively in 2023 and 2022.
In fact, Stanton is no stranger to Somerset having spent time rehabbing with the Patriots in 2022 and 2023. In three total games in a Patriots uniform, Stanton is 0-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts.
The last BIG statistical year for the Panorama, California native was back in 2018, his first season in pinstripes, when he drove in 100, crushed 38 homers and smacked 34 doubles, all while amassing 164 hits.
Stanton won the NL MVP in 2017 with the Miami Marlins when he hit .281 with 52 homers and 132 RBI.
The Yankees would love to get Stanton back into the lineup, especially after this weekend when the Bombers lost two of three to the Red Sox.
Aaron Judge is having another big season, leading the team in homers with 23 and a .396 batting average. What makes it impressive is that Judge has put up MVP-type numbers with both Stanton (injury) and Soto (Mets) out of the lineup.
The likes of Ben Rice (12 homers), Trent Grisham (13 homers), Austin Wells (10 homers), and Jazz Chisholm (9 homers) have all done a nice job in the power department, but the Yankees need a veteran presence to slug into the middle of the order. Perhaps soon Stanton can rejoin them.
