CLEVELAND (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton took batting practice with teammates on Tuesday as he continues to recover from elbow issues.
Stanton took swings before the game at Progressive Field as the Yankees prepared for the middle game of their series against the Guardians.
While Stanton has been working behind the scenes, this was the first time he has taken outdoor batting practice. Manager Aaron Boone did not mention anything about Stanton's progress during his pregame availability.
Following New York's 3-2 loss to Cleveland, Boone would not characterize the importance of Stanton's outdoor session.
“I don’t know how significant because he’s been doing a lot more than that (inside),” Boone said. "But certainly it’s good to see him out there on the and in a (BP) group hitting. So I think all of us get a smile seeing that. But I don’t know if it’s a significant step because he’s been doing a lot more than that.”
Stanton has been dealing with tendinitis in both elbows, with the ailment known as “tennis elbow” shutting him down since spring training. The 35-year-old has said his elbows also bothered him last season and it's a matter of pain tolerance.
The team does not have a timetable for Stanton's return to their lineup. It's likely he'll have to go on a minor league rehab assignment before he's ready to play in major league games.
Stanton is in his eighth season with New York. Last season, he hit 27 homers and drove in 72 runs in 114 games.
Stanton has 429 homers in 15 seasons with the Yankees and Marlins.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
