Giancarlo Stanton Still Can't Run and the Yankees Are Running Out of Time

Here's the thing about aging superstars in May: when they get hurt, the whole timeline shifts. The New York Yankees got the update they were dreading on Giancarlo Stanton, and it's not great. The five-time All-Star hasn't even started running yet after suffering a low-grade right calf strain in the series opener against Houston last week. Manager Aaron Boone said the hope is Stanton starts hitting this weekend, but for a guy who just turned 37 and has battled injuries constantly in recent years, that's not exactly a fast track back.

Stanton's Already Been Dealing With It All Year

This didn't come out of nowhere. Stanton missed a ton of time before Opening Day, then finally made the roster only to get dinged up immediately against the Astros. Since then, he's been putting up unspectacular numbers across 24 games: .256/.302/.422 with three homers and 14 RBIs. A 100 OPS+ isn't helping carry the load in a lineup that needs production from its big names.

The injury timing is brutal because the Yankees already called up outfielder Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the roster spot. But now Dominguez is sitting out with a hand injury of his own. So the Bronx is dealing with a back-to-back injury crisis in the outfield.

At Least Will Warren Is Keeping Things Together

The one bright spot? The Yankees just beat Baltimore 7-2 on Friday, and Will Warren was electric. The young pitcher went 6.1 innings, gave up only one run, and struck out nine Orioles batters. This is the guy nobody's been talking about, but Boone made sure to give him the credit he's earned. "The body of work, just from jumping into spring training, has just been excellent over and over again," Boone said about Warren.

The rookie campaign last year was bumpy at first, but Warren bounced back with three quality starts in a row down the stretch. Now he's 4-0 for the season with a 2.39 ERA and 46 strikeouts. That's the kind of stability the Yankees need while they wait for Stanton to get healthy and for Dominguez to return.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.