Giancarlo Stanton is moving again, but the Yankees still aren’t ready to put a date on his return.
That’s where this has landed after more than three months of waiting: enough progress to sound hopeful, not enough to pin anything down. Stanton’s right calf injury, which started on April 24 when he was jogging between first and second base in Houston, has already taken a detour through a June setback and turned into one of the Yankees’ most frustrating unknowns.
Aaron Boone tried to frame the latest step as progress before Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Braves at Yankee Stadium. Stanton had jogged in the outfield Friday after facing live pitching earlier in the week, and Boone said, according to Bryan Hoch, that the veteran had begun what he called an “introduction” to base running.
Boone kept the message cautious from there.
“I expect him back here at some point. He’ll be in there when the time’s right,” Boone said.
When asked whether Stanton’s return was closer to days or weeks, Boone didn’t bite.
“I don’t know,” Boone said.
And when the follow-up came about an activation timeline, he stayed in the same lane.
“I’m not going to get in the predicting game of it,” Boone said.
He did say Stanton has handled the recent work well, but the manager made clear that the medical and training staffs will decide when the next step comes.
“We expect him back, and I would say he’s doing quite well, but ‘at what percent [he is running],’ they’ll tell me when it’s time,” Boone said.
That caution makes sense given how Stanton got here. His first calf issue came during routine baserunning, and the June setback hit while he was again running the bases at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees have every reason to be careful with the same action that already pushed his return back once.
Before the injury, Stanton was hitting .256/.302/.422 in 24 games with three home runs, six doubles and 14 RBIs. For a Yankees lineup that has spent long stretches without Stanton, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, that kind of right-handed power still matters. New York added Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos at the trade deadline and promoted George Lombard Jr., but Stanton remains one of the few bats on the roster who can flip a game with one swing.
The Yankees’ place in the standings adds weight to every update. Saturday’s win moved them to 66-51, and MLB’s official standings had them 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and 1 1/2 games ahead of Boston.
The wording of Boone’s update quickly became its own story on X, where fans latched onto the phrase “started the introduction to some bases” and turned it into a fresh wave of jokes and exasperation.
Joseph Esposito (@JosephEsposito0) wrote, “The vagueness behind Giancarlo Stanton’s injury and subsequent timeline is so odd”
Gil Valle (@gilvalle3) said, “Every time this guy would get on base it’s a career threatening situation”
Ben Bingham (@BenBinghamMLB) posted, “hahaha started the introduction to some bases,”
Steve Brudzynski (@_BigSteve89) wrote, “Reporting news while introductions going on is crazy work. Had a mini heart attack thinking Stanton was done for the year”
Theo Williams (@22Lamb22) said, “He’ll end up on the Old Times Game IR list.”
Neil Keefe wrote, “There are people who suffer traumatic brain injuries who learn to walk again faster than Stanton heals from a calf injury to run the bases.”
Jacob @AndThatsBB posted, “Boone doesn’t get enough credit, ‘started the introduction to some bases’ is one of the funniest lines I’ve ever read from a manager.”
brian @brianbuck13 wrote, “Hello, this is first base. First base, this is Giancarlo.”
Michael Kasdan added, “Hi. I’m Giancarlo.
My running is more jogging these days but I still can hit the long ball. First base: “Hi.
Nice to meet you. I’m first base.
I’m the first one you step on when you’re headed around the bases….”
Aaron @AaronCornielle asked, “Why do Giancarlo Stanton updates sound like he’s recovering from brain damage and a 2-year coma?”
The jokes landed because the wait has been so long. Stanton has not completed a full season since 2018, his first year in New York, and this calf issue is his seventh injured-list stint since 2021.
The Yankees’ official injury report listed his expected return as August as of Saturday. It also noted that he has been hitting, has faced live pitching and has done outfield running before beginning light work involving the bases.
There still isn’t a rehab assignment on the board.
That’s the fine line here: Stanton’s bat is not the issue, but the running remains the delicate part. The Yankees are trying to get him back without inviting another setback, and for now they can only say he’s making progress.
He’s hitting. He’s running. He’s started light work on the bases.
The Yankees expect him back.
They just don’t know when.
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