Giancarlo Stanton DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) could head to Tampa this week to take live at-bats, although nothing has been finalized yet, according to manager Aaron Boone. Stanton has been out all season to this point while dealing with tennis elbow in both of his arms. There's still no timetable for the 35-year-old slugger's return, but it's a good sign that he's close to facing live pitching. He's also been taking batting practice since late last month, so barring a setback, he should play in 2025. Fantasy managers that have been stashing him in an IL spot are hoping that Stanton will make his season debut in pinstripes before the All-Star break in mid-July. When healthy, Stanton still has high-end power, but it comes with lots of injury risk, power outages and a low batting average. When/if he returns, it will be bad news for Ben Rice, who has been serving as the primary DH.

The New York Yankees are not ruling out designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) being ready to return when he's eligible to come off the 60-day injured list in late May, according to manager Aaron Boone. The skipper also said Stanton's rehab will look different than most players since the team doesn't need to get him ready to play the field. The 35-year-old veteran slugger missed all of spring training and has yet to play in 2025 due to torn ligaments in both of his elbows, but he could have a shorter rehab assignment than most as just a hitter. He started taking batting practice late last month and appears to be getting close to facing live pitching, a notable step in the rehab process. The Yankees will surely be cautious with the oft-injured Stanton and will probably ease him into DH duties when he returns. Stanton's eventual return will mostly be bad news for Ben Rice.UPDATE: Stanton took live batting practice on Tuesday and will continue workouts in New York on the team's upcoming West Coast road trip.

The New York Yankees transferred outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday to make room for outfielder Bryan De La Cruz on the 40-man roster after he was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. It's merely a procedural move and won't really change Stanton's timetable to make his 2025 debut. The 35-year-old veteran power hitter is dealing with tennis elbow in both of his arms and still doesn't have a specific timeline for his potential return to the big-league roster. The good news is that he recently started taking batting practice, but Stanton has yet to be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, meaning we probably won't see him until at least June. In the meantime, the left-handed-hitting Ben Rice will continue to benefit as the Yankees' primary DH.