Spring training just started, and the New York Yankees already have a big problem on their hands.
On Sunday, manager Aaron Boone revealed Giancarlo Stanton is nursing an elbow injury that affected him last season and could force him to miss opening day.
"He was doing stuff (in the offseason) and then he kind of shut down and got treatments," Boone told reporters, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "It's just something we don't want to rush, if we can get to a really good spot and know we're going to have to probably deal with some maintenance with it throughout the year. We don't want to force anything too early."
Stanton told reporters the level of pain in his elbow was "very high" and "definitely not just soreness." Boone compared the injury to a condition known as "tennis elbow."
"Look, tennis elbow or whatever they call it, (there are) tears in your tendon," Stanton said when asked about Boone's assessment, via Hoch. "So (if you ask) when did it feel good, when did it feel bad, there's always a pain level there. You've got to deal with that. It's just the wisest point to give time right now."
Stanton added: "I was dealing with it last year, so it was a manageable thing. We'll just give it as much time as possible before we've got to get rolling for a full year here."
Stanton, 35, has three years and $86 million left on his contract. The Miami Marlins will pay $20 million of Stanton's remaining salary over the final two years.
Despite dealing with the elbow injury, Stanton hit .233 with 27 homers and a .773 OPS in 114 games last season. He also struck out 143 times while earning just 38 walks.
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Dakota has a decade of experience covering a variety of sports, including a four-year stint as a New England Patriots ... Read more