Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton lands on injured list, will have MRI on Monday
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton drops his bat as he watches his solo home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Sean Gilmartin during the fifth inning of the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, in St. Petersburg, Fla Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
Giancarlo Stanton landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on Sunday morning. That was expected after Aaron Boone announced the night before that Stanton had experienced tightness in the area after advancing on a wild pitch during the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Stanton won’t undergo an MRI until Monday, so Boone couldn’t give a prognosis for how long he might be out. He added, “We felt like it was at least going to be something that's going to keep him out for at least the next week or so.”
Stanton, limited to 18 games last season because of an assortment of injuries and out most of the first spring training because of a right calf strain suffered Feb. 25, was off to a good start, hitting .293 with three homers and a 1.038 OPS.
The injury was frustrating for Stanton not only because of that fast start but because he made a concerted effort in the offseason to remodel his body. By all accounts, he was successful, showing up for spring training having dropped about 20 pounds from his 2019 listed playing weight of 245.
“This will be something that we will continue to try and obviously help him avoid these situations going forward,” Boone said Sunday. “That’s going to be a process and I feel like he can get there. Obviously, having the injury he had in spring training then basically rehabbing that through spring and through quarantine and everything, creates a little bit of challenge, but there’s no doubt I feel like physically he’s in a much better place and hopefully we can continue to make strides, not only moving forward in the immediate present and the rest of this year but also into the offseason and kind of doing things that will set him up to be healthy over the long term.”
As a corresponding roster move, the Yankees brought back utilityman Thairo Estrada. Boone indicated that could be for Sunday only and that Miguel Andujar could be recalled early this week.
Progress for Chappy
Boone said Aroldis Chapman, sidelined for much of Spring Training II after testing positive for COVID-19, threw a bullpen session at the alternate site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Saturday and is lined up to face hitters in live batting practice “possibly” Tuesday in Scranton.
