New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has encountered a new injury, separate from his initial right calf strain, complicating his return to the lineup. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman announced Thursday that the setback, which occurred in mid-June while running the bases, is a distinct injury in a different area of his right calf.
"It kind of resets the whole thing," Cashman said at Tropicana Field. "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. Certainly we’d love to have him in that lineup and being the weapon that he is. But we have to let it heal. We have to give it the time it takes, and unfortunately it takes time."
This new development means Stanton is unlikely to be available for the Yankees before August. The 36-year-old designated hitter has been sidelined since late April, and his extended absence has been keenly felt, particularly with the concurrent injury to star outfielder Aaron Judge.
Judge has been out since late May with a right rib stress fracture and is scheduled to have the injury re-imaged during the upcoming All-Star break. The Yankees' offense has struggled during this period without both key power hitters, and it is expected to be several more weeks before either player can rejoin the team.