The Yankees got two very different injury updates this week, and they could not have landed on more opposite ends of the optimism scale.
Giancarlo Stanton’s situation is still murky, even after a little bit of movement. The slugger strained his calf 88 days ago and has not played in an MLB game since.
Back in early July, Aaron Boone said Stanton still had not gotten back to running, though he was doing treadmill work. Boone also said he expected Stanton to return this season, but had no idea when.
That uncertainty only deepened over the weekend. On Friday, Chris Kirschner reported there was still "no timetable" for Stanton’s return, even though the veteran had started a running progression. Then on Monday, Bryan Hoch wrote that Stanton "isn't close to returning," and that he was not yet near Minor League rehab games despite resuming that running work.
Giancarlo Stanton isn't close to returning. Though Stanton has resumed his running progression after a recent calf strain, #Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday there is "no timeline" for Stanton to play in Minor League games. He has been out since April 24.
- Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) July 20, 2026
But Tuesday morning brought a slightly more encouraging note. Talkin’ Yanks reported Boone saying Stanton should be back in a "reasonable amount of time". That still leaves plenty open to interpretation, but it at least sounds more hopeful than the previous updates and suggests Stanton could still be in line to return in 2026.
Aaron Boone tells us Giancarlo Stanton is "actually doing pretty well" and should be back in a "reasonable amount of time" pic.twitter.com/Ec7K0eOA4N
- Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 21, 2026
The news on Max Fried was much cleaner. Fried has been out since mid-May with a left elbow bone bruise, but Boone said he will throw a 60-pitch rehab start on Wednesday, July 22. Boone also said the Yankees expect Fried to re-join the rotation next week in Chicago.
Aaron Boone tells us that Max Fried will throw 60 pitches in a rehab start tomorrow and then they expect him to join the rotation in Chicago pic.twitter.com/6KfvQOCqAL
- Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 21, 2026
If that plan holds, Gerrit Cole would be lined up to start the first game of the White Sox series on Monday, July 27, with Cam Schlittler set for the third game on July 29. Fried could fit into the middle game on July 28, though Tuesday’s postponement leaves the exact alignment a little less certain.
For a Yankees team dealing with a rough stretch of injuries, Fried’s return would be a welcome lift. The offense, meanwhile, is still waiting on Aaron Judge for the foreseeable future.
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