NEW YORK — New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is expected to come off the injured list Monday to make his season debut against the Los Angeles Angels, sources confirmed to ESPN, giving the club a surplus of lineup options 70 games into the season.
Stanton was sidelined through Sunday with tendon injuries in both elbows. In 2024, he played despite joint pain through a postseason in which he clubbed seven home runs in 14 games, but then he was shut down from swinging a bat in January until late March.
He was eligible for reinstatement from the 60-day injured list in late May, but the Yankees, not desperate for offense and with multiple choices for DH, did not rush him back. Instead, the 35-year-old Stanton began a rehab assignment last week, appearing in three games for Double-A Somerset after an extended period taking swings off machines and in live batting practice. He went 3-for-11 with a double, 4 RBIs, a walk and 3 strikeouts for Somerset.
Meanwhile, the Yankees offense has thrived without the accomplished slugger whose 429 career home runs lead all active players. The team ranks second in the majors with a 123 wRC+ and .794 OPS with Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez primarily cycling through the DH spot.
That’s where things become complicated for the Yankees. Stanton’s return will, as it stands, present a daily lineup puzzle for manager Aaron Boone to solve — not only in the DH slot, but in the outfield where he has Judge plus three players (Dominguez, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grishman) for two spots (center field and left field).
Last week, Boone told reporters that Rice could start games at catcher to alleviate the logjam and get his bat in the lineup more often. Rice, 26, was drafted as a catcher and spent most of his minor-league career behind the plate, but he’s yet to make a start at catcher for the Yankees since making his major league debut last season. Rice has tallied just 6 ⅔ innings behind the plate in the majors.
Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra has thus far split the starts at catcher, with Wells starting 52 of the team’s 70 games behind the dish.
SNY first reported the news of Stanton’s activation.
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