New York Yankees Send Giancarlo Stanton to Injured List

Posted on: April 16, 2023, 08:48h. 

Last updated on: April 17, 2023, 05:31h.

The New York Yankees have been unlucky this season in the injury department, and their latest casualty is designated hitter/outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.

Giancarlo Stanton Yankees
New York Yankees DH Giancarlo Stanton, seen here flipping his bat after a base hit against the Minnesota Twins, will miss time because of a hamstring injury. (Image: Getty)

The Yankees placed Stanton on the 10-day injured list (IL) after an MRI revealed he suffered a grade 2 strained left hamstring injury.

Stanton was moving around OK after the game,” said manager Aaron Boone. “But  he definitely felt like, before even getting the MRI, that it was an IL stint.”

The Yankees already had two starting position players on the IL, including center fielder Harrison Bader (oblique) and third baseman Josh Donaldson (hamstring).

The pitching staff is also nicked up. Starting pitchers Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino are currently on the 15-day IL. Relief pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga and Lou Trivino are also sidelined. Starter Frankie Montas could miss the entire season after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Another Injury for Stanton

Stanton sustained a hamstring injury in the seventh inning of Saturday afternoon’s game against the Minnesota Twins. He laced a double into the deepest part of Yankee Stadium in left-center field, known as Death Valley, and trotted into second base with a stand-up double.

Stanton tweaked his hamstring running. He quickly signaled to the dugout that he needed to come out of the game. Boone pulled Stanton for a pinch runner. The Yankees held on to win, 6-1, to end a two-game losing streak.

In the last 12 seasons, the injury-prone Stanton only had three seasons in which he didn’t spend any time on the IL. The last time that occurred was during his first season with the Yankees in 2018. A healthy Stanton appeared in 158 games in his first year in pinstripes while slugging 38 home runs with 100 RBIs.

In 2022, Stanton missed almost a month with a left Achilles injury and tendinitis. The Yankees struggled without him and went 11-17 in that stretch. He also missed a couple of weeks last season with an ankle injury. Overall, he missed 52 games in 2022.

“Obviously, he’s got an awesome build and physique,” said Boone. “He works very hard to try and avoid these things, but unfortunately it’s something that’s happened with him.”

In 13 games this season, Stanton hit four home runs with 11 RBIs. He’s slashing at .269/.296/.558. Before his injury, Stanton was the team co-leader in RBIs with outfielder Franchy Cordero.

On Saturday against the Twins, backup outfielder Willie Calhoun started at DH and replaced Stanton in the lineup. Cordero and Calhoun will platoon at DH until Stanton returns.

Futures Market Unaffected by Injuries

After the first 16 games this season, the Yankees are tied for the second-best record in the American League. They’re currently in second place in the AL East with a 10-6 record. The red-hot Tampa Bay Rays started the season with a 13-0 record and hold first place in the division with a 14-2 record.

After most teams played through the first 10% of the season, the Atlanta Braves are the betting favorite to win the World Series at +600 odds, according to DraftKings. The Houston Astros were the preseason favorite, but they’re now second on the MLB futures board at +750 odds.

Despite their injuries, the Yankees are +800 odds to win the 2023 World Series as the third-highest team on the board.

The Astros are a slight favorite at +380 odds to win the American League pennant and are ahead of the Yankees (+400), and Rays (+500).

After their sensational 13-0 start of the season, the Rays moved ahead of the Yankees as the new betting favorite to win the AL East at +165 odds. The Yankees are a close second at +185 odds.