GIANCARLO STANTON has suffered an injury setback just weeks before the new MLB season.
The New York Yankees slugger, 35, is one of the league’s most explosive power threats.
Stanton has smashed 429 career home runs, adding 34 off the bat last season as the Yankees made the World Series.
The 35-year-old is suffering from “intense discomfort” with pain in both elbows.
Stanton battled through the injury last season as he continued to turn out for the Yankees.
But despite an offseason to rest up, he sat out the first full-squad workout ahead of Spring Training earlier this week.
Stanton is not sure when he will be able to resume full activities as he manages the pain.
And he has not swung a bat for almost a month.
“It’s definitely not just soreness,” he explained to reporters.
The former Miami Marlin is working hard on rehab but remains a doubt for the season opener on March 27.
“A lot of forearm work, a lot of tissue work, a lot of exercises overall,” he said, when asked what he was doing to try and combat the pain.
“Look, tennis elbow or whatever they call it is tears in your tendon.
“If you blow it up, which overdoing would, it’s not what you want.
“But that would be the same if anything were to tear off.”
Stanton rebounded from a career-worse 2023 to have a productive season in 2024.
Across 114 regular season games, he hit .233 with 27 homers, 72 RBI and a .773 OPS.
Should Stanton be sidelined, the Yankees have a host of talent on the roster to stand in.
Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are all new the organization.
“Usually it does get better,” sports orthopedic surgeon Dr. Spencer Stein told NJ.com.
“The fact that it was hurting Giancarlo all last season and is flaring up again is a bit concerning.”