The New York Yankees are squarely in playoff contention as we near the closing stretch of the Major League Baseball season, but they were dealt a pretty significant blow to their World Series chances on Saturday.
The Yankees were hoping to have superstar slugger Giancarlo Stanton back after he had missed the bulk of the season with a right calf strain. Unfortunately, it sounds like there’s a chance that isn’t going to happen, as he has suffered a setback in the midst of his injury rehab.
Stanton Suffers Setback
Back in April, Stanton suffered a right calf strain that has left him on the injured list ever since. Manager Aaron Boone said that Stanton was nearing a return from that injury, but he announced on Saturday that the slugger had suffered a setback that would put his return in jeopardy.
While rehabbing the injury to his right calf, Stanton suffered another strain in his left calf while running the bases during his rehab process.
“What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out,” Boone said via ESPN. “He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available. Obviously, we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know.”
Stanton is one of the top sluggers in Major League Baseball with 456 career home runs – the most amongst active players. The Yankees were hoping to have him back to help bolster their struggling offense as they head into the final stretch of the regular season and into the postseason.
“Obviously, bummed for him,” Boone said. “Been working his tail off every single day here trying to get this thing right. I think you all know how bad he wants to be on that field and contributing to a championship. Obviously, that’s disappointing. Hopefully we just continue to work to get him right and healthy.”
Fans Not Happy
Needless to say, this is some pretty horrible news for the Yankees down the stretch, and it led to a lot of reactions from fans and media on social media.
“While rehabbing his right calf injury, Giancarlo Stanton has strained his left calf. It has become so comical, you’d be excused for thinking it’s a joke. It’s likely he won’t return this season. If not, with the Yankees (since 2018) he has played just 764 of 1355 games (56%),” wrote prominent sports commentator Dan Clark in a post on X.
“Giancarlo Stanton had the perfect mentality for an athlete playing in New York. Unfortunately, his body couldn’t hold up,” wrote Yankees commentator Mike Salvatore in a post on X.
“Guy’s just broken at this point. Wondering if that’s the last we’ve seen of him,” wrote Eric Hubbs of Barstool Sports in a post on X.
“I think there’s a very good chance we’ve seen the last of Giancarlo Stanton as a Yankee. Great player. Incredibly clutch. Handled New York as well as anyone. But his body has betrayed him. You can’t justify a roster spot for someone you know will miss 130+ games a year,” wrote radio commentator Jake Asman of ESPN New York and Mad Dog Sports Radio.
“That’s all she wrote,” wrote Gary Sheffield Jr. in a post on X.
“Oh my god. This is like a Mets thing to happen. Stanton is cursed,” wrote prominent New York Mets commentator Jake Brown.
We’ll have to see how the Yankees will be able to overcome this as the regular season comes to a close.
About Kevin Harrish