There’s no question that the Bronx Bombers will be relying on New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton if they want to win their first World Series since 2019.
Stanton has been plagued by injuries in recent years, with elbow issues limiting him to just 77 games last season.
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The 36-year-old Stanton was still hitting .273 with 24 homers and 66 RBIs coming into the game, but even after taking the offseason, he was asked this week during spring training whether his elbow would heal.
“That will never be the case,” Stanton said (via NJ.com). “Not when I was in this business. “You have good days and bad days, just like your mood and everything.
The five-time All-Star then made a shocking admission of just how useful his elbow is.
“I couldn’t open the bottle,” he said. “I can’t open a bag of chips…a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”
President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
New York Yankees’ No. 99 Aaron Judge wears an NYPD hat to honor the fallen first responders on 9/11 before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City on September 11, 2025.
President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
New York Yankees’ No. 99 Aaron Judge wears an NYPD hat to honor the fallen first responders on 9/11 before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City on September 11, 2025.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with players including New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge (right) in the New York Yankees locker room before a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, left, and Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney, wearing FDNY and NYPD hats respectively, speak on the field before the game at Yankee Stadium.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
Yankees fans Joe Nukulovich (left) and Steve Jobst from New Jersey watch batting practice before a game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
President Donald Trump signs a baseball in the Yankees locker room before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2025 in New York.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
Fans stand for the national anthem before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City on September 11, 2025.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
The scoreboard at Yankee Stadium displays a message before the game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers to commemorate September 11, 2001.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
Players and fans observe a moment of silence before the New York Yankees game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2025 in New York to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. President Donald Trump will attend the game at Trump Tower in New York before heading to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for the weekend.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
A plaque honoring the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is hung on a base before a game between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City, on September 11, 2025.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
A U.S. color guard holds a flag during the national anthem before the game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2025 in the Bronx, New York City.
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President Donald Trump attends Yankees game in New York to honor victims and heroes of September 11
U.S. President Donald Trump watches a baseball game between the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, on September 11, 2025.
Stanton said he wants to play a full season, although he hasn’t played 140 or more games in a season since 2021. He will serve primarily as a designated hitter in 2026, but plans to get some outfield reps as health permits.
“This is not going to be fixed with surgery and I don’t care what any doctor says because they don’t know what’s going on,” Stanton said. “What is written (about my elbow) is from me and the Yankees to you.”
Stanton is the current MLB home run leader with 453 home runs. In 2014, he signed a 13-year, $325 million contract as a member of the Miami Marlins, with two seasons left before a 2028 club option (which included a $10 million buyout) had to be decided.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton describes limitations caused by elbow