The 71st game of theYankees’ season might have ended in a loss, but that’s not the headline fans will remember because star DH Giancarlo Stanton made his much-awaited first appearance of the season.
Stanton batted fifth and received a standing ovation fromYankee Stadiumas he walked up to the plate in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels.
The five-time All-Star ended the night 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout in the 1-0 extra innings loss. His first hit came in the bottom of the fourth with a full count as he lined a sinker 111.1 mph into left field. His second was a double in the ninth that exited his bat at 102.9 mph.
So, while he’s still finding his groove, the 6-foot-6-inch designated hitter certainly hasn’t lost his power.
“It’s amazing. You know, it’s been a long time coming for the year, so I appreciate them and good thing I was able to do alright tonight,” Stantonsaidof the support from the fans.
“It’s good to be back out there. Thought I saw the ball pretty well, besides one at bat. So, be just working on that and make sure my timing is geared up. Get rolling,” Stanton said, adding: “It was a solid first day and take it in tomorrow.”
The 35-year-old was originally put on the 10-day disabled list (DL) on March 26 before being moved to the 60-day on May 1 with right and left elbow epicondylitis – more commonly known as tennis elbow.
The 2017 NL MVPadmittedin May that he just wanted to “get it to a point where it’s manageable and go from there. There’ll be good days and bad days.”
Stanton took part in his first live batting-practice in early May and was sent to his rehab assignment in Double-A shortly thereafter. He drove in three RBIs in his first rehab game on June 11.
Yankees manager Aaron Boonerevealedthat his DH played through the elbow issues last season, especially in the second half. General manager Brian Cashman lateraddedthat Stanton had felt better before dealing with a set-back about three weeks before the start of spring training.
Booneacknowledgedthey’d have to be patient with Stanton’s 2025 return and manage expectations: “Know we’re gonna have to probably deal with some maintenance with it throughout the year. But just don’t want to force anything too early.”
Since his blockbuster move from the Miami Marlins to the Bronx ahead of the 2018 season, Stanton has been a vital impact player for the Yankees – when he’s healthy. But the healthy part has sometimes seemed hard to come by.
He was markedly leaner when he showed up at spring training last year and played the entirety of his 2024 as DH, hoping these things combined would help reduce the chances of injuries.
Stanton hasn’t played a full season since his first year in New York. He’s faced time out due to a right knee sprain, left hamstring strain, left quad strain, right calf strain, left Achilles tendonitis, and two more left hamstring strains since 2019.
The Yankees sit atop the American League East with a 2.5-game lead over the second-placed Tampa Bay Rays.