The Yankees have been waiting on Giancarlo Stanton all season. And now they’ve got a new reason to keep waiting.
Brian Cashman dropped the update Tuesday that Stanton’s latest absence isn’t just a setback of the calf strain he dealt with back in April. It’s a whole new injury. The designated hitter strained his right calf while running the bases in mid-June. That’s different from the original issue. And according to Cashman, it basically reset the clock on his rehab.
“It kind of resets the whole thing,” Cashman told reporters at Tropicana Field via YES Network. “So he’s finally been cleared to start some running. He’s gotten PRP injections along the way, but ultimately, it was an unfortunate circumstance.”
The timing stinks for a team that’s trying to stay alive in the AL East race. Stanton is a middle-of-the-order threat who changes how pitchers approach the lineup. Without him, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto have carried more of the load. But at 34, Stanton’s body hasn’t cooperated much lately.
What Cashman said about the timeline
Cashman didn’t sugarcoat it. The Yankees still think Stanton can return this season. But they’re not betting on a clean MRI when they check again.
“I don’t think we’re anticipating it’s coming back clean,” Cashman said. “I think we’re anticipating and hopeful that it’s showing the healing process. The time frame that it would take to heal should allow him to be back with us this season.”
That’s a lot of hope baked into one sentence. Stanton has played in only 69 games this season, with 14 homers and a .246 average. Not bad but not the elite production the Yankees paid for. And now they’re stuck waiting on imaging results to figure out the next step.
Will the Yankees make a trade?
Cashman also addressed the looming trade deadline. The Yankees are 52-32, sitting second in the AL East behind the Orioles. They need help. Everyone knows it.
“I think we’re open-minded at the Deadline to try and improve ourselves, period, end of story,” Cashman said. “We’ll evaluate what’s available and try to push in on anything that makes sense that we can acquire to make us better.”
That’s vague enough to mean anything. But reading between the lines, the Stanton injury probably pushes the front office toward adding a bat. They’ve been linked to outfielders and infielders. Pitching depth is always a need too. Cashman didn’t name names, but the message was clear: they’re shopping.
For now, the Yankees wait on a calf to heal and hope the trade market delivers something useful before July 30.
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