A right calf strain and a right calf tweak in June have kept Giancarlo Stanton out of the Yankees’ lineup since April 24. Just when it appeared Stanton was making solid progress toward a return, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other outlets that Stanton fell during a running drill and suffered a “moderate-grade strain” in his left calf. Given the lack of time remaining in the season, Boone acknowledged this could mean Stanton has played his final game of 2026. A recurring series of lower-body injuries have limited Stanton’s availability for years, and he has been deployed primarily as a designated hitter when he has been able to play during his nine seasons in New York. Since being traded to the Yankees before the 2018 season, Stanton has appeared in 764 games, the equivalent of less than five full seasons. It seemed like injuries were taking their toll on Stanton as he produced a modest 107 wRC+ in 1,326 plate appearances during the 2022-24 seasons, but even those down years were highlighted by ALCS MVP honors in 2024. Elbow injuries kept Stanton from making his 2025 debut until June, but he hit .273/.350/.594 with 24 home runs in 281. PA last year in a continued recovery. This season, Stanton hit .256/.302/.422 with three home runs in 96 PA before going on the disabled list. Aaron Judge’s long stint on the IL has been the biggest reason behind the Yankees’ lackluster offensive performance over the past three months, but it obviously hasn’t helped that Stanton and Cody Bellinger have also missed long stretches of time. Bellinger has made good progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain and plans to be activated from the disabled list on Sunday, as he told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The Yankees’ acquisition of Luis Garcia Jr. at the trade deadline seemed like a hedge against Stanton’s recovery process, even before this new calf injury set things back once again. Garcia has been playing regularly at first base, while Ben Rice has been filling the designated hitter role. Things might have gotten a little more complicated if Stanton had returned, although that may be a moot point if Stanton actually finishes the year. Judge has started hitting off the tee and could be a couple of weeks away from returning, so New York could use the designated hitter spot on Judge if the three-time American League MVP needs more time to become fully ready for outfield work again. In the bigger picture, 2027 is the final guaranteed season of the 13-year, $325 million extension Stanton signed with the Marlins in November 2014. Stanton is owed $29 million in 2027, and his $25 million club option for 2028 will almost certainly be bought out for $10 million. It’s worth noting that the Marlins will pay the Yankees $10 million in each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons to contribute to Stanton’s salary, so New York is responsible for just $9 million of the money owed to the slugger after this year. This amount is small enough that the Yankees might consider eating it and releasing Stanton to free up roster space, or New York could bring Stanton back for one last go-around as a glorified bench hitter since Miami is covering most of his salary anyway. Unless the Yankees explore moving Garcia back to second base, Garcia and Rice believe the first baseman and designated hitter situation will be largely covered moving forward, although Garcia’s struggles against left-handed pitching create platoon opportunities for Stanton’s right-handed bat.
