NEW YORK – Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton expects to miss about four weeks because of a strained left hamstring that caused him to go on the injured list for the eighth time in six seasons.
A 34-year-old former MVP, Stanton left Saturday night’s 8-3 win over Atlanta and had imaging Sunday that led to the strain being evaluated as mild, according to manager Aaron Boone. Stanton had a platelet-rich plasma injection and gave the timetable for a return after the series-ending 3-1 loss to the Braves.
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“Should be a four-week range,” he said of a return. “As soon as possible, close to that.”
Stanton doubled off the center-field wall in the fourth inning Saturday and winced when he rounded third base on Gleyber Torres’ double. Trent Grisham pinch hit for Stanton leading off the sixth.
Stanton can start exercising 48 hours after the injection. He missed 266 of 708 games in the past five seasons (38%) but hopes an intensive offseason program would keep him healthy. He wouldn't say whether he felt frustrated.
“Feelings don’t really matter in this time,” he said. “It’s just going to be a rough four weeks. I got to do what I can to get there.”
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had said on Nov. 13 at the annual GM meetings: “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.”
When a visibly slimmer Stanton reported to spring training, he said succinctly: “He knows my reaction to that.”
Boone said Aaron Judge likely will see more designated hitter days while Stanton is sidelined and Grisham will be be the primary outfield replacement. Grisham is hitting .138 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 80 plate appearances, making 22 outfield starts.
“This should give him that uptick of playing time," Boone said.
Stanton played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games — none in the field — and is hitting .246 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs. The active leader in home runs with 420, he is in the midst of his healthiest season with the Yankees since he played in 158 games in 2018, his first after he was acquired from Miami.
“He's been that force that you want in the middle. He’s been a threat every day,” Boone said.
Stanton was sidelined during the previous five seasons due to a strained right biceps and strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadriceps (2021), right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis (2022) and a strained left hamstring (2023).
“I think it's a little better than last year's,” Stanton said.
Infielder Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Boone said Jasson Domínguez would have been Stanton's roster replacement had he not strained his left oblique on June 15 with the RailRiders, an injury expected to sideline the outfielder until mid-August.
New York added a right-handed bat, acquiring first baseman J.D. Davis from Oakland along with cash for minor league infielder Jordan Groshans.
New York (52-28) lost to of three for the third straight series after dropping two of three to Boston and Baltimore. The Yankees had been relatively healthy early in the season. Infielder DJ LeMahieu didn't make his season debut until May 28 after breaking his right foot on a foul ball during spring training on March 16 and AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole didn't make his first start until June 19 because of right elbow nerve inflammation and edema.
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt went on the IL on May 27 because of a right lat strain and first baseman Anthony Rizzo broke his right forearm in a collision at Fenway Park on June 16.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB