New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t swung a bat in three or four weeks and isn’t sure whether he will be ready for Opening Day because of painful tendinitis in both elbows.
Speaking Monday before the team’s first full-squad workout, the five-time All-Star revealed he played in pain for much of last season as he helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.
“Tennis elbow or however they call it is tears in tendon, so it’s not when did it feel good, when did it feel bad. There’s always the pain level there, and you got to deal with that. So, yeah, it’s just the wisest point to give time right now,” Stanton said.
He wouldn’t guess whether playing in the American League champions’ March 27 opener against Milwaukee is realistic.
“Definitely behind, but I mean that’s just a matter of being ready for a full go today as opposed to in a little bit. So we have five, six weeks here. It’ll be a good ramp-up from there,” he said. “We’ll see how that goes.”
Stanton, who turned 35 in November, said he felt the pain for most of last year.
“Definitely not just soreness. It’s a manageable thing,” he said.
Stanton hit .233 with 27 homers and 72 RBIs while playing 114 games last year, his season interrupted by a strained left hamstring that sidelined him between June 22 and July 29. Stanton batted .273 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in the postseason.