Yankees Suffer Season-Ending Injury. Giancarlo Stanton, the designated hitter for the New York Yankees, may have to miss Opening Day due to elbow soreness in both elbows. Stanton hasn’t batted in about a month due to what Yankees manager Aaron Boone called “tennis elbow,” and he told reporters that the pain level has been “very high.”
It turns out that Stanton’s swing may be the direct cause of the pain he is experiencing in his elbow tendons. Stanton’s quick and “violent” swing, which is fueled by his firm hold on the bat, may be causing additional strain on his elbows, according to MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center physician Timothy Gibson, who spoke to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
“If you swing harder than anyone else, you’re naturally gripping the bat tighter than everyone else,” Gibson explained. “If he’s relying more on his arms, that puts significant strain on his elbows.”
“But that’s just his style,” Gibson continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a biomechanical study showed he experiences more elbow stress than any other player. Swinging harder than everyone else inevitably means putting more strain on the body—it’s just common sense.”
At 6’6″ and 245 pounds, Stanton has the physique of a linebacker, using his powerful frame to crush baseballs at an elite level. Since the start of the Statcast era, he has recorded the most balls hit over 120 MPH and has ranked in the top 10 for average exit velocity over the past four seasons.
Stanton not only makes an impact when he connects but also swings harder than anyone in MLB. In 2024, he led the league in average bat speed at 81.3 MPH. These numbers have fueled his success—he is the active career home run leader with 429—but have also contributed to his injury history. Since joining the Yankees, he has played over 150 games in a season just once, frequently sidelined by lower-body injuries.
Now, an upper-body issue threatens to keep Stanton out of action, and finding a solution may not be straightforward.
