English
Español
Following the Yankees' 5-1 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday in spring training action, manager Aaron Boone spoke on a number of topics...
Giancarlo Stanton's spring debut set
Every spring, the status and health of Stanton are a question, and 2026's camp is no different.
Last season, Stanton experienced tennis elbow in both arms and played through it. He's experiencing the same ailment this year, hence why the Yankees are slow-rolling his time in camp. However, Boone revealed after Saturday's game that the tentative plan is for the slugger to see his first spring training action on Tuesday against Team Panama.
Stanton told NJ.com on Wednesday that he has "good days and bad days" with his elbow pain and that he can't open a bottle or a bag of chips. Despite that, Stanton is determined to get through the season and this will be his first step.
Although Stanton missed the beginning of the 2025 season, he still hit 24 home runs and posted a .273/.350/.594 slash line once he made his debut on June 16.
Cody Bellinger dealing with back discomfort
Missing from the Yankees lineup for the second consecutive game was Bellinger, and the reason is physical.
Boone told the media, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, after Saturday's game, that the former NL MVP is dealing with back discomfort. The Yankees skipper said Bellinger's back is a little "unaligned," but the team expects him to return for Tuesday's game.
“He’ll probably, I’m guessing, [miss] a couple of days,” Boone said. “He’s quite a bit better today. So we don’t think it’s anything. The trainers aren’t too concerned about it. This is something that crops up on him every now and then, usually sometime in the spring or earlier in the year. We dealt with it a little bit in-season early last year.”
So far this spring, Bellinger has played in three games, going 4-for-9 with an RBI.
Gerrit Cole update
Cole continues on the road to recovery after Tommy John surgery a year ago and the reports from Yankees camp is better than even the organization could have imagined.
The former AL Cy Young winner threw a 26-pitch live batting practice on Friday and came out of it good.
"He was live, threw all his pitches in this one," Boone said on the YES broadcast during Saturday's game. "He's been great. Stuff has been excellent, command has already been there and I feel like he's sharp already. I shouldn't be surprised because it's Gerrit, but he's in a really good spot here."
Yankees GM Brian Cashman was in Tampa before the game and spoke to the media and he was asked about Cole's progress.
“Not surprisingly, he’s done everything he can in a very methodical way,” Cashman said. “It’s all playing out as you would hope. There’s twists and turns to rehab. You have good days, you have bad days. But it feels like he’s had nothing but good days, which is fantastic.”
The Yankees said early in camp that they hope to have Cole appear in Grapefruit League games this spring. The organization is targeting a late May or June return to the team for Cole, but so far so good for the ace of the rotation.