Yankees star Giancarlo Stanton sustains new calf injury, makes possible return this season 'challenging'

Giancarlo Stanton’s nightmare season continued with another injury setback earlier this week.

The 36-year-old was rehabbing from a strained right calf, with hopes of returning at the beginning of September, when he fell down running the bases and strained his left calf. The setback leaves his 2026 season in doubt.

"It’s a moderate grade," New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "What that means moving forward, we’re not ruling anything out. He’ll obviously continue to work to try and get it right and hopefully be available but obviously we’re at a point in the calendar where it gets challenging, but you also never know, obviously bummed for him.

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"Been working his tail off every single day here trying to get this right. I think you all know how bad he wants to be on that field and contributing to a championship. So obviously that’s disappointing but hopefully we just continue to work and get him healthy."

Stanton tweaked his calf while running between second and third base during the Yankees’ 12-4 win over the Houston Astros on April 24. He was nearing a return in June, but sustained another calf strain on the same leg, just in a different spot.

He resumed running two weeks ago, and had even taken at-bats against Carlos Rodón while he was on the injured list with an elbow injury.

"Obviously it’s been a tough road where he kind of reinjured a different part of the calf muscle halfway through here and now this. So tough news. You feel for G because I know how bad he wants to be in there for us, but at the same time it is what it is too and we got to just keep moving and try and hopefully get him right and hopefully get him right to where he still can be in the mix by the end."

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The Yankees' offense has been one of the worst in baseball since Aaron Judge left the lineup with an injury at the beginning of June, and Stanton was being counted on to come back and provide some much-needed thump in the middle of the order.

In 24 games this season, he was hitting .256 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Injuries have been a significant part of Stanton’s tenure with the Yankees, as he has not played a full season in pinstripes since his first in 2018.

Following his debut season with the Yankees, Stanton missed 266 of 708 games over the next five seasons because of a series of strains of right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (twice) and left quadriceps, along with right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis.

In 2024, Stanton missed 28 games with a strained left hamstring but helped the Yankees reach their first World Series since 2009 by hitting 27 homers and 72 RBIs in 114 games, adding seven homers in 14 postseason games, including four in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.

Stanton missed the first 70 games last year because of inflammation in the tendons of both elbows. After returning, Stanton hit .273 with 24 homers, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS in 77 games.

The Yankees, who entered Saturday three games back of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East, will look to narrow the gap without their star slugger.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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