Giancarlo Stanton landed on the 10-day injured list after hurting his right calf during New York’s Tuesday victory against the Baltimore Orioles. On Wednesday, the Yankees learned they won’t have to wait long to get their slugger back in the lineup.
Initially, the Yankees feared that Stanton had suffered a right calf strain on Tuesday. Stanton has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past three years.
Stanton avoids serious Achilles injury
That diagnosis changed after medical personnel examined Stanton.
“He’s just got some ankle inflammation,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. “Feel like we got good news. Achilles is fine and no strain. Just feel like this is something that’s going to be short, but feel like we should knock it out and not mess with it, and maybe it becomes something else.”
The goal, Boone says, is to get Stanton back on the team immediately after his stint on the 10-day IL ends.
New York will be glad to have Stanton back as soon as possible. So far this season, the 32-year-old has hit .285 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 40 games for the Yankees. While Stanton has never come close to matching the 59 homers he hit for Miami in 2017, he remains one of the most dangerous power hitters in the majors and a key part of the New York lineup.
| AL MVP Odds: Yankees Candidates (via FanDuel Sportsbook) |
| Aaron Judge: +350 |
| Giancarlo Stanton: +6500 |
| Anthony Rizzo: +10000 |
| Gerrit Cole: +20000 |
| Joey Gallo: +25000 |
| Gleyber Torres: +50000 |
| DJ LeMahieu: +50000 |
Stanton’s strong start has him on the fringes of the American League MVP race. FanDuel Sportsbook lists him as a +6500 pick for the award, which places him among the top dozen candidates for MVP. Shohei Ohtani (+210) and Stanton’s teammate Aaron Judge (+350) are the favorites for the award.
Yankees in strong position to handle losses
Stanton isn’t the only Yankee on the injured list at the moment. New York moved relief pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga to the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation.
“Similar to what he dealt with last year,” Boone told reporters. “So, just feel like it’s probably something that as a precaution, we need to be smart here and take a couple weeks and hopefully that’s all it is.”
Joey Gallo just came off the COVID-19 injured list on Wednesday, while Josh Donaldson remains sidelined with the virus. Meanwhile, infielder DJ LeMahieu has missed two games with discomfort in his left wrist.
The Yankees can afford some time with a depleted roster. New York leads the AL East by 4.5 games over the Tampa Bay Rays with a 31-13 record, the best mark in the majors. The Yankees are the +600 second choice to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+450).