Giancarlo Stanton’s last step before rejoining the Yankees has arrived.
The veteran slugger will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday at Double-A Somerset, which is not expected to be a long one if his elbows respond well to game action.
It does not seem out of the question that Stanton could rejoin the Yankees as early as this weekend in Boston against the Red Sox if he comes through his rehab games without issue.
Stanton has been on the injured list all season after arriving to camp with tendinitis in both elbows, a condition he played through in the second half of last season, including a monster playoff run.
He has said all along he will have to play through some level of pain once he returns this season, but it appears to be in a spot where it is now manageable.
Giancarlo Stanton working out at Yankee Stadium on May 20, 2025.
The 35-year-old DH spent the last two weeks in Tampa getting plenty of live at-bats to ramp up his workload after missing all of spring training.
He was also dealing with a minor calf issue this spring but has since gone through a full running progression to prepare for his return.
While the Yankees have not yet laid out a clear plan for Stanton’s rehab assignment, he is not expected to need too many games because he is not playing the field.
This is about making sure he gets his timing down against live pitching in game settings, before playing in games that count.
When Stanton does return to the active roster, Aaron Boone will be tasked with juggling his lineup.
He already has to sit one of Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, Jasson Domínguez, Cody Bellinger or Paul Goldschmidt on a daily basis — and now with Stanton taking up the DH spot, that will become even more complicated.
Giancarlo Stanton will be back in the Yankees lineup soon.
Stanton is unlikely to play every day, especially early on as he settles back in. Rice and Grisham have cooled off after blistering starts, though Rice is still hitting the ball harder on average than most of the league. And Boone said on Friday that he still liked the quality of at-bats Grisham was taking.
Rice, who has received the bulk of DH at-bats in Stanton’s absence, can spell Goldschmidt on occasion at first base (especially against righty starters). He has also been getting regular defensive work at catcher, his natural position, before most games, though he has yet to start there this season.
