New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has suffered a new calf injury, complicating his potential return to the field this season. Stanton, 36, was rehabbing a strained right calf with the hope of rejoining the team in early September. However, he sustained a new strain in his left calf while running the bases during his recovery.
"It’s a moderate grade," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the latest injury. "What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out. He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available but obviously we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know, obviously bummed for him."
Boone added that Stanton "been working his tail off every single day here trying to get this right. I think you all know how bad he wants to be on that field and contributing to a championship. So obviously that’s disappointing but hopefully we just continue to work and get him healthy."
Stanton initially tweaked his calf running between second and third base during the Yankees’ April 24 win over the Houston Astros. He had been nearing a return in June, but re-injured the same leg in a different spot. He had resumed running two weeks prior to the latest setback and had even taken batting practice.
"Obviously it’s been a tough road where he kind of reinjured a different part of the calf muscle halfway through here and now this," Boone said. "So tough news. You feel for G because I know how bad he wants to be in there for us, but at the same time it is what it is too and we got to just keep moving and try and hopefully get him right and hopefully get him right to where he still can be in the mix by the end."
Injuries have been a recurring theme for Stanton during his tenure with the Yankees. He has not played a full season since 2018. In 2024, he missed 28 games with a strained left hamstring but returned to play 114 games, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 72 runs. He also contributed seven home runs in 14 postseason games that year. The previous season, Stanton missed the first 70 games due to inflammation in both elbows before returning to play 77 games, hitting .273 with 24 homers.
This season, Stanton has played in 24 games, batting .256 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. The Yankees, who entered Saturday three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, will have to navigate this stretch without their designated hitter and a key offensive piece.
Mixed with this report is information regarding NFL player Saquon Barkley's comments on salary caps, which is not directly related to Stanton's injury. For example, Barkley recently spoke to Fox News Digital and shared his full support for the players, stating "It’s a moderate grade," New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out. He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available but obviously we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know, obviously bummed for him." This statement by Boone appears to be a misattribution and likely refers to Stanton's injury, not Barkley's. IMAGE1: Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge look at an iPad at Yankee Stadium. "It’s a moderate grade," New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out. He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available but obviously we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know, obviously bummed for him." This statement by Boone appears to be a misattribution and likely refers to Stanton's injury, not Barkley's. IMAGE2: Giancarlo Stanton swings at bat during a Yankees game against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. IMAGE3: Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees looks on during a game against the Seattle Mariners.