Brian Cashman blunt about oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton, says missed time in 2024 is 'more likely than not'
Because of a litany of injuries, Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has missed significant time in four of the last five seasons. And GM Brian Cashman is realistic about what the expectations should be for him ahead of the 2024 campaign.
"We try to limit the time he’s down," Cashman told Gary Phillips of The New York Daily News. "But I’m not gonna tell you he’s gonna play every game next year because he’s not. He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.
"But I know that when he’s right and healthy – other than this past year – the guy’s a great hitter and has been for a long time."
In addition to missing 61 games in 2023 because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Stanton also scuffled through the worst season he's ever had at the plate.
He slashed just .191/.275/.420 with 24 homers and 13 doubles in 101 games.
While the 24 homers would've extrapolated to around 40 over a full season, Stanton's ability to get on base was severely diminished -- a downward trend that began in 2022 when he hit only .211/.297/.462.
"We’ve gotta get Stanton up and running again," Cashman said at the GM Meetings, via The Daily News. "He’s injury-prone. We all have lived and known that, but he’s never not hit when he’s playing, and this year is the first time that that’s happened."
Added Cashman:
"It’s been something that we’ve been working through and working on for a long time without the results that we want. So I don’t have an answer to that. I know he’s frustrated by it. We know he’s certainly better than what we saw last year."
In addition to having a bad offensive season that was derailed by injury in 2023, Stanton wasn't close to 100 percent when on the field, often jogging to first base on ground balls.
And Stanton's injury issues could render him to a strictly DH role (instead of a hybrid DH/outfield job), limiting New York's in-game roster flexibility.
Stanton, who is entering his age-34 season, has four years remaining on the 13-year, $325 million deal he signed with the Marlins before being traded to the Yanks.
