Sep 24, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees injured designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) takes batting practice before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
BRONX, NY — Giancarlo Stanton could have “taken his ball and gone home,” as his manager Aaron Boone put it, amid the ceaseless wave of injuries that limited his 2026 season to a measley 24 games.
Already dealing with double tennis elbow, he went on the IL after suffering what was initially described as a low-grade right calf strain on April 24.
He never came back for the regular season.
Stanton suffered a left calf strain in June, then experienced a setback in late August. Yet, when the Yankees released their Wild Card Series roster prior to Game 1 on Tuesday, there was the 36-year-old serving a minor consolation prize after the news of Aaron Judge’s omission — the captain dealing with a calf strain of his own.
“It’s been a really tough year for G on the injury front and I just give him a ton of credit because after this last setback a month ago, he probably could’ve just taken his ball and gone home and he’s never stopped,” Boone said. “Even through the frustration of having a couple of different setbacks, he’s never stopped working and trying to, if he can, be some kind of option. He’s at that point now. I think through the entire year, the one thing he has done is hit a lot because he has been close to returning a couple of times.”
Even with five months’ worth of rust to work through, Stanton’s big bat is impossible to ignore. He is one of the Yankees’ most prolific postseason hitters ever, slugging 18 home runs in 48 playoff games. Only Derek Jeter (22) and Bernie Williams (20) have more postseason home runs as Yankees.
But, understandably, Stanton’s role will most likely be reserved for pinch-hitting duties, Boone disclosed on Monday.
“I don’t know that I see a DH [opportunity] just with the makeup of our roster. [Ben Rice] is our DH, and with the platoon of [Luis Garcia Jr.] and [Paul Goldschmidt at first base] and the dynamic of that, it’s a bullet off the bench, and it’s a pretty dynamic one. We’ll see. He’s ready to go. I know he’ll handle the moment mentally, emotionally, and hopefully, maybe he’s got a big swing or two in him.”
Still, the return of “Big G” provides a boost to a Yankees clubhouse that will try to get through this best-of-three series against the Red Sox without their engine in Judge.
“He’s definitely not a comfortable at-bat no matter if you face him on a backfield or you face him in a game with the lights on,” Game 2 starter Max Fried said of Stanton. “He has the same intimidating factor. It’s Giancarlo Stanton. He can hit a ball 120 mph, and he can change a game really quick. He’s been working really hard to get back, and I’ve seen him a lot, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
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