Giancarlo Stanton

New York Yankees’ Clint Frazier has been dealing with secret foot injury for months

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New York Yankees, Clint Frazier

Despite having a new strength and conditioning coach in Eric Cressey, the New York Yankees still can’t manage to escape the injury bug. With Aaron Judge, James Paxton, Giancarlo Stanton, and more all returning from injury and attempting to stay healthy, there’s a lot of emphasis on recovery and rehabilitation.

However, we can add another name to the list. Clint Frazier has been dealing with “a little foot issue” for months, manager Aaron Boone stated following Tuesday’s intrasquad game.

The New York Yankees are taking things easy with their injured players

Frazier has been taking it easy for the past few months, as the lingering issue has affected his play. That is a major reason why he has taken minimal at-bats and looked a little bit off. Usually, his name rings a bell on occasion, but he has been mostly a ghost the past few weeks. He seems to be well on his way to recovery. Frazier was launching homers prior to the start of the game on Tuesday.

“But he’s been able to do anything from running to playing the outfield,” Boone said of Frazier, who launched a few booming home runs in batting practice hours before. “So we’re just taking of slow playing him (at DH) these first couple of days.”

With the active roster being expanded to 30 players, Frazier has a fantastic opportunity. He can lock down an active spot with a good summer camp performance.

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Frazier was a bit a rocky in 2019

Last season with the Yankees, he played in 69 games, posting a .267 batting average with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. The majority of his deficiencies came on defense, as he struggled with a .963 outfield fielding percentage and committed three errors.

Frazier has the offensive prowess to excel at the MLB level, and an increase in defensive production would help him significantly in this development. If he can earn one of the expanded four roster spots, they will likely utilize him in the outfield as Stanton and Judge could rotate in the DH spot for the time being.

Boone stated that Stanton would likely feature as DH, and they are optimistic that Judge will be ready for the start of the regular season. Ideally, Judge will start in right field and Aaron Hicks in center field, leaving left for Fraser or Brett Gardner to slide into.

New York Yankees Analysis: How the intensity of a short season can help the Yankees

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New York Yankees, Giancarlo Santon

The New York Yankees, as well as all the MLB teams, have been waiting to play ball for months due to a coronavirus shutdown and baseball negotiations that seemed to go on forever, between the owners and the players.  One of those issues is behind us for the time being, the other will be a factor for the entire season and postseason.

Both of those factors have caused Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to impose an unprecedented 60 game season to be played in just 66 days. It is a crapshoot as to if the season can be completed in a pandemic environment.  New York Yankee Manager Aaron Boone has said recently, paraphrasing, that I don’t think about it much, we are focused on getting to a World Championship for the Yankees and their fans. This is bound to be an emotional season for players and their families, but with Boone’s focus that Championship can be accomplished.

The Yankees will have to perform with the intensity of postseason play.  Getting out of the box early takes on a new meaning in a season that will demand that.  Getting off to a slow start or having a prolonged slump could be season-ending.

The Yankees have a great starting rotation headed by newly acquired pitching ace Gerrit Cole.  Following him in the rotation are pitchers that can come out hot like James Paxton that won 11 games in a row last season, or Masahiro Tanaka that can get hot and be dominate. Each game will be so important to win. The Cole factor will be reduced in a season where he may get only eleven starts.  But on the other hand, he could come out of the box and win his first six in a row.

Whether its pitching or hitting, just a few players being hot for a time could carry the team for the season. Imagine if Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, and Gleyber Torres get hot at the same time.  The big-time players will guide the season.  But, that is not to diminish the importance of the New York Yankee bench. The Yankees have a great bench filled with talented players that could come out of the woodwork and be impactful should some of the big boys be injured or become infected with the virus.

Believe it or not, injuries may play a more significant factor than last year that saw the Yankees have an unprecedented number of injuries to nearly everyone on the team at one point or another. With star pitchers going deeper into to games, to have an impact and position players trying to make spectacular plays, and hitting for the fences, the simple fact is that they are more likely to be injured. This is where the deep bench comes in and could make a huge difference in a season that is so short.

The New York Yankees may have an edge with a deep bench.  Miguel Andujar may be a key factor in the outcome of the season.  Manager Boone can use him in different ways, both playing in the outfield and serving as DH. With the team mostly healthy now, a bright season seems to be in the future for the boys of the Bronx.

That bench includes players like Tyler Wade, Clint Frazier, and Mike Tauchman, any of these players could have a breakout season. Imagine just for a moment, Giancarlo’s 2017 season where he hit 59 home runs, Aaron Judge’s 2017 season that saw him hit 52 home runs. Miguel Andujar’s 2018 season of 27 home runs.  38 home runs highlighted Gleyber Torres’s season in 2019.  What is in common with all of these stats is that they were healthy seasons for all the players involved. There is no guarantee that any of these players will replicate those numbers this year. But, a healthy season increases that likelihood.

Anything can happen in a season as short as this one. Additional positive coronavirus tests are almost a certainty. Players like last year’s MVP DJ LeMahieu and reliever Luis Cessa who have not yet reached Yankee Stadium due to positive tests after recovery are not likely to come out of it at full strength. Injuries and the coronavirus will most likely be a deciding factor with which team comes out on top.

No matter how you look at it, the New York Yankees are going into the great unknown in such a short season. The Yankees will depend on their star pitchers to pitch their hearts out while knowing they have a more than effective bullpen to back them up when they falter.  The big bats will have to prevail and if they don’t the Gio Ushelas will have to come to the rescue to propel the Yankees over the top.

With a good start and a healthy season, the Yankees will be able to see that bight light at the end of the rainbow, and it’s a big number 28!

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.  Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

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New York Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton talks about “scary” Masahiro Tanaka incident

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New York Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton

New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton had to endure an ugly moment last Saturday, when one line drive off his bat hit Masahiro Tanaka in the head. The Japanese hurler stayed a couple of minutes down but then was able to walk away to get treatment.

Almost immediately after the unfortunate incident, Stanton was seen wincing in fear, thinking that he might have seriously hurt his teammate and friend unintentionally. After all, Stanton is known around the league for posting the highest average exit velocity numbers, and Saturday’s drive was clocked around 112 miles per hour.

Thankfully, Tanaka was diagnosed with only a mild concussion, and he rode a stationary bike for 15-20 minutes on Monday, per New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

The Yankees’ pitcher is trending in the right direction

“All signs continue to be encouraging with Masa,” Boone told reporters. The pitcher was taken to the hospital after the injury, but was released later that night and has been at Yankee Stadium the last two days.

Stanton, clearly concerned about Tanaka’s health, seems to be in better spirits. “As long as he’s OK,” Stanton said to NJ.com, “I’m OK.”

“That was a terrible moment,” Stanton said. “For me, terrible, initially of course. You never want to see your teammate on the ground, especially by the hand of yourself.”

“That’s a scary thing, something that could have been a lot worse. I hope he’s OK and hopefully he gets past that quick.”

The Yankees slugger said that as his line drive soared toward Tanaka, his world moved in “slow-mo.”

“You want that ball to keep veering off and it didn’t,” he said.

Of course, Stanton knows a thing or two about getting hit in the head by a baseball. In 2014, a Mike Fiers fastball broke his jaw.

“At the end of the day,” Stanton said, “glad that (Tanaka) was awake and functioning and responsive right off the bat and throughout the evening, and the next day and today.”

Yankees are hit with two major injuries in one day to extend bad luck

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New York Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka

The Yankees are accustomed to general injuries suffered during baseball games. Whether it be players hit by a pitch, straining a muscle rounding the bases, or pulling a lat swinging a bat, most of the individual ailments suffered in recent years have been during live action.

This off-season, though, the Yankees have faced resurfacing injuries from last fall and new ones during spring training. However, the team cannot manage to escape the unfortunate reality of their situation. On Saturday, during the first official team workout post-MLB shut down, Giancarlo Stanton struck Masahiro Tanaka in the head with a line drive.

Tanaka immediately fell to the ground in obvious pain as a loud crack was heard across the stadium, and the ball struck him. He laid on the mound for several minutes before trainers were able to help him off the field under his own power.

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Luckily, the Yankees starting pitcher was suffering minimal concussion symptoms that have since alleviated, but he will be under close watch after such a devastating blow. Stanton was in reasonable mental distress after he hit Tanaka with the comebacker, but things are looking up for the Japanese born player.

The Yankees are desperately trying to rid themselves of all this bad luck

This wasn’t the only poor news the Yankees received on Saturday, as both DJ LeMahieu, and Luis Cessa were diagnosed with COVID-19.

LeMahieu, who batted .327 with 26 homers and 102 RBIs in 2019, ranked fourth in MVP voting and earned an All-Star selection for his contributions. He was by far the Yankees’ best player and acted as their utility man across the infield. Losing him would be devastating, but we can imagine he will remain quarantined for the next few weeks until he is healthy. This also puts his teammates in jeopardy, especially if he had been spending any time around them in recent days.

The Yankees will continue to test their players and ensure none of them have contracted the virus, but luckily, the team has about a month until regular season play begins. They have an abundance of time to regain their health and security before taking the field against an official opponent.

New York Yankees: 3 burning questions heading into spring training 2.0

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New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres

The New York Yankees enter spring training 2.0 in the Bronx with multiple questions left to be answered. Prior to the shut down of baseball, the Yankees were dealing with a bevy of injuries to star players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks. Let’s not forget about James Paxton and Luis Severino already scheduled to miss the entire 2020 campaign after succumbing to Tommy John surgery.

However, the Yankees have one of the deepest teams in Major League Baseball. Players like Miguel Andujar are waiting in the wings for an opportunity. Andujar lost his starting position at third base to Gio Urshela last season after he went down with a torn labrum. With general manager Brian Cashman stating that Stanton could fill the DH spot, Andujar might not have much of an opportunity with the Bombers, unless he’s featuring in left field.

“I feel that Stanton would be a legitimate choice for that DH role starting from the beginning,” Cashman said on a conference call Tuesday. “The question is whether he would be any choice at all in the beginning as an outfielder or not. I don’t know that answer.”

Nonetheless, let’s take a look at three burning questions for the New York Yankees:

1.) How will the Yankees utilize Miguel Andujar?

As stated, the Yankees have a decision to make with Andujar. He played in just 12 games last year after posting a .297 batting average with 27 homers and 47 doubles in his rookie campaign. He was the runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2018, and returning to that form is his ultimate goal.

Andujar spent the spring attempting to learn how to play in the outfield. While the Yankees have several players ahead of him, he could be used as a depth piece and rotational hitter in the DH spot.

I see manager Aaron Boone rotating Andujar and Stanton and DH, attempting to limit fatigue and keep their high price slugger healthy for the shortened season.

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Yankees and Mets’ stars played “secret” games in recent weeks to stay sharp

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton

Coronavirus forced MLB to suspend the start of the season, which was scheduled for March 26, indefinitely. Uncertainty then broke into the scene, and players had to figure out ways to keep themselves in shape in case baseball came back eventually, which it did. That’s why a group of stars, including some in the New York Yankees and New York Mets, found creative solutions.

According to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic, New York Yankees’ outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and New York Mets’ pitchers Robert Gsellman and Michael Wacha took part in “underground” baseball games in recent weeks to stay sharp with the start of the season in mind. Other known players to participate were aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander of the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, respectively.

The group of players was led by Eric Cressey, who the Yankees hired this season to supervise their training, strength and conditioning programs. His wife Anna worked alongside him, and they all trained at Cressey’s gyms while eventually playing games.

“If people knew what we were doing, we would have had 10,000 people at Palm Beach Gardens High School to watch us,” Cressey told Ghiroli.

The Mets had several players taking part

The games featured strict social distancing rules that forbade sliding and included the use of up to 56 different baseballs. In one of those games, per SNY.tv, the Mets’ Gsellman started opposite his now-teammate Wacha.

Also in attendance were New York Mets’ hurler Noah Syndergaard, who was present to rehab his surgically-repaired right elbow. He will miss the 2020 season but will come back in 2021 in what will be his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Training camps are opening and all teams, including the Mets and the Yankees, will start hosting “Summer Camp” in preparation for the season that is slated to start on July 23.

New York Yankees: The Giancarlo Stanton injury news we didn’t want to hear

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton

The New York Yankees have been a revolving door of injuries the past two years. The majority of their starting outfield was injured before spring training even began this year. With the coronavirus pandemic setting everything back months, the Yankees had ample time to recover and heal from previous injuries.

Players like Aaron Judge, James Paxton, Aaron Hicks, and Giancarlo Stanton have had an additional 4-5 months to prepare for the second wave of training camp and a condensed regular season, scheduled to start in late July.

On a conference call with Brian Cashman on Tuesday, he stated that Giancarlo Stanton would likely be a full go as the DH option, but that he hasn’t partaken in any outfield drills yet. Stanton suffered a grade 1 calf strain back in February; grade 1 being the very minimum of strain intensities.

The slugger still hasn’t taken any outfield reps, even in a practice scenario. This is very problematic for a player that struggled with soft tissue injuries last year and has clearly carried those same ailments into 2020.

The New York Yankees should be preparing to feature others in the outfield

Five months after he suffered the injury, Stanton is still struggling with the ability to field balls, as we can derive from Cashman’s statements. It is quite blasphemous that we are still talking about a minor Injury that occurred almost half a year ago. Whether it be the former strength and conditioning coach Matt Krause and his methods or Stanton simply preferring to be a bodybuilder over a professional athlete; this is a controversial situation considering he cannot return to full health following such a minor injury.

Stanton played in just 18 games last year, earning 59 at-bats which saw him hit three homers, 13 RBIs, and landed a .288 batting average. This was the least amount of games he has played in his career by a fair margin, having started in 158 two years ago in his first year with the Yankees. He had 38 homers, 100 RBIs, and logged a .266 batting average.

If Stanton can return to full health and at least rotate in at leftfield occasionally, the Yankees will be getting some sort of defensive value from him. However, it seems as if he will be mostly an offensive threat as the DH, giving players like Brett Gardner and Clint Frazier more opportunity to start in the outfield. Again, it is mine blowing that he has yet to begin taking flyballs or any sort of activities in the outfield. With spring training 2.0 starting very soon, he could progress quickly, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

New York Yankees: Who will play left field?

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New York Yankees, Brett Gardner

With an MLB restart plan finally in check, things are looking up for the New York Yankees. One of the advantages that they had with the coronavirus shutdown was that it allowed the team to get mostly healthy again. That includes the outfield duo of Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge, the starting center and right fielders, respectively.

A healthy Aaron Hicks pushes Brett Gardner out of centerfield, with him potentially being able to play left. Additionally, the Yankees have Giancarlo Stanton and Clint Frazier. Who will start in left field come Opening Day?

The Gardy Party

I believe that it will most likely be Brett Gardner in left field in 2020. Gardner had a good 2019 season, hitting .251 and slugging a career-high 28 home runs. He still has speed, resulting in a good glove despite a poor arm. Although Stanton and Frazier may be better hitters, Gardner is a much better defender compared to the other two.

It will mainly be Giancarlo Stanton in the DH role. His bat is far too valuable to leave out of the lineup, and using him as the DH can help him stay healthy. He had 38 home runs and 100 RBIs in 2018 as 2019 was significantly shortened due to injuries. Stanton also won the 2017 NL MVP.

Now that leaves us with Clint Frazier. Frazier had success at the plate in 2019, hitting .267 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. Defense was a completely different story, having -8 defensive runs saved and ended up with just a 0.1 WAR because of it.

Although he is getting older and his time in pinstripes could soon be over, left field is currently Brett Gardner’s to lose. However, young guns like Clint Frazier will be waiting in the wings if something ever happens.

New York Yankees: Will Giancarlo Stanton opt-out of his contract in 2021?

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New York Yankees, Giancarlo Santon

Could Giancarlo Stanton opt-out of his contract with the New York Yankees?

With the 2020 baseball season in jeopardy of happening at all, the New York Yankees will have to deal with a multitude of expiring contracts, including Zack Britton, J.A. Happ, James Paxton, Brett Gardner, and Masahiro Tanaka.

Giancarlo Stanton, on the other hand, is in the middle of a massive 13-year, $325 million deal. Currently, he’s in the sixth season of this deal, earning $26 million with an opt-out after the 2020 season. Stanton’s contract only increases in annual pay, indicating that he will likely stick with the Bombers for the foreseeable future. His deal reaches a peak of $32 million for three consecutive seasons.

The primary issue is that Stanton hasn’t lived up to his contract in recent seasons, spending a majority of the 2019 campaign struggling to remain healthy. He suffered through biceps, calf, and other soft-tissue injuries, logging a minuscule 59 at-bats with 13 homers. This was the lowest number of plate appearances he’s ever recorded, showing relatively motivating injury-history before joining the Yankees.

I believe that the previous strength and conditioning regimen are at fault for Stanton’s injuries, as a focus on power might have forced specific muscle groupings to be overworked, increasing the probability of injury. However, the New York Yankees hired Eric Cressey to take over their strength operations, which should hopefully mitigate the concern the Bombers were forced to prioritize.

Nonetheless, Stanton’s opting out of his deal is extremely unlikely, since the Yankees represent the best opportunity for him to earn some World Series hardware and he can cash in big-time during the process.

Stanton’s deal will last until 2027, and he has a $10 million buyout or $25 million team option for 2028. He will ultimately remain a Bomber until he’s 37 years old, and physical degeneration remains a potential issue after his most recent injury concerns. He has dealt with knee injuries in the past, forcing him out for some time, but those issues seem to be a thing of the past.

Despite his troublesome 2019 campaign, Stanton did have a solid 2018 campaign where he smashed 38 homers and 100 RBIs. If he can replicate his past performance moving forward, the Yankees will be in good shape, despite the allocated funds.

The Yankees And Mets Are Stepping Up To The Plate During The Pandemic

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New York Yankees, Brett Gardner

Right now we’re heading into the end of May and we’d just be wrapping up the second month of the Yankees and Mets season. Two months with no baseball in May is a weird feeling.  Like many of you, fans and players alike, I’m really missing baseball. 

Some players have been keeping baseball around by watching old games, playing MLB The Show, or simply just playing catch. 

New York has been hit the hardest by this Coronavirus. And times like this really show what people are made of.  After 9/11 people really came together, really stepped up. If I could take away one thing from this tragic time, it’s all the good that people are doing. 

In times like these, you look to your idols. And our superstars of New York, past and present have really stepped up. From legends like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter to future legends, Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge. Different players have been helping out in different ways, from donating food and medical supplies to auctioning off memorabilia for charity.  

How have the Yankees and Mets stepped up?

Former Yankees, CC Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera have been hands-on, with donating meals to those in need. Sabathia and his wife Amber, with the help of their PitCCh In Foundation, has been donating meals to the Boys And Girls Club once a week in the Bronx and their hometown in California. They’ve also teamed up with Fresh Direct for their “Operation 5 Borough Food Drive” which is helping feed kids across New York City.

Along with celebrating health care workers and donating headphones to students in New York City, Yankees rookie of the year and star outfielder Aaron Judge joined in on the “All In Challenge”. As well as Yankees manager Aaron Boone, CC Sabathia, the New York Yankees organization, and others. The “All in Challenge” is where fans can donate money for raffle tickets for a chance to win once in a lifetime experiences like on-field passes, dinner with the players, and more. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to No Kid Hungry, Meals on wheels, Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, and America’s Food Fund.

Aaron Judge’s foundation the “All Rise Foundation” has granted the Boys and Girls Club of America a mini-grant to help launch the “club on the go” program. A program that provides kits to kids with healthy snacks and learning activities to help prevent kids from falling behind during the pandemic.

Another former Yankees legend, Derek Jeter is auctioning off the 2014 All-Star jersey that he wore in his final All-Star game to raise money for the “All In Challenge”

Along with that, Jeter has stated he will be forgoing his salary during the pandemic, and the Marlins have committed $1 million to help the ballpark employees during this time. 

Giancarlo Stanton also donated 15,000 reusable face shields to health care workers in both New York City, and Southern California. Also both the Mets and Yankees have created funds for their employees to get paid during this time that there is no baseball. 

And the new Yankees Pitcher Gerrit Cole may not have even played his first game in pinstripes yet but is stepping up. Cole and his wife, through their foundation, the “Gerrit and Amy Cole Foundation” are donating to Direct Relief, which is an organization that coordinates with nonprofit organizations, and public health authorities to provide essential medical items and PPE to healthcare workers responding to Covid-19.

Pete Alonso may also be a newer addition to New York but has stepped up to the plate in a big way during this pandemic. Looking to give back, Pete and his Fiancé launched their new foundation “Homers For Heroes”. A foundation looking to honor our everyday heroes such as front line workers, veterans, teachers, and coaches.

In March Alonso sent a video message to an 82-year-old life long Mets fan who was just diagnosed with cancer, after her granddaughter took to twitter to reach out to the Mets. The one thing that could really help her during this time was watching her team play. But being that there was no baseball due to the pandemic, Alonso did the next best thing.  Alonso is not only a great player on the field but a great guy off the field as well.

Another Met and Fellow New Yorker, Steven Matz donated $32,000 to hospitals and first responders in NYC through his TRU32 charity. A charity that he started in 2016 to honor the FDNY, NYPD, and Military.

The one story that really stood out to me, was Nick’s Gourmet Deli in East Elmhurst that was closing their doors for good the day the Mets called and asked his deli to provide 1,000 meals. With even more meals in the days to follow. 

The Mets have also donated food from other small businesses which are also helping them to stay open. 

They also helped donate cases of produce to food banks in the local area along with 4,500 meals to health care staff on the front lines. I really applaud the Mets for this move, they are truly paying it forward and helping out their community. 

I always say I’m a die-hard New Yorker, that being a New Yorker is just part of who I am. And these teams represent our city, and couldn’t be more proud of the guys representing it.

Alexa, play New York, New York.