He Can Carry an Offense — Just Don’t Ask Him to Carry Groceries

“That’ll never be the case.”

When pressed on what “never” means for someone still living in the batter’s box, he didn’t dance around it.

“Not while I’m in this line of work.”

The Part Fans Don’t See

There’s playing through pain. Then there’s living through it — and that’s where Stanton’s situation moves from “baseball injury” into something that reshapes how a team has to plan.

He described the day-to-day reality in a way that almost sounds absurd until you remember what his job is.

“I can’t open a bottle. I can’t open a bag of chips… a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”

That’s not a player asking for sympathy. It’s a player explaining the baseline he’s operating from — and why “rest” doesn’t equal “fixed.”

The Availability Equation

Since joining the Yankees in 2018, Stanton has appeared in roughly 740 regular-season games while the club has played close to 1,300. That means he has missed about 43% of possible games — a stretch shaped by recurring lower-body injuries early in his tenure and chronic elbow inflammation more recently.

The pattern isn’t about effort. It’s about wear.

• 2018: Near-full season, immediate impact.
• 2019–2023: Multiple IL stints tied to hamstrings, quads, Achilles issues, and knee trouble.
• 2024–2026: Persistent tennis elbow affecting both arms becomes the defining obstacle.

This is why the Yankees don’t build around perfection anymore. They build around probability.

AP

Why the Yankees Build for Survival — Not Best-Case

The Yankees know Stanton’s value isn’t tied to “how many games” in the abstract. It’s tied to impact per plate appearance and to what he can do when the stakes get ugly.

That’s why even the surgical conversation doesn’t have the clean, comforting ending fans want. Stanton’s explanation was as honest as it gets for a player whose livelihood depends on violence of contact.

“You get the surgery and you can go back to being in the general population in a few months, but my job is to put some of the most force into a batted ball.”

And then came the part that tells you how complicated this really is — not just medically, but practically.

“That’s not going to be fixed in surgery.”

The Yankees aren’t trying to win a medical debate. They’re trying to win games — and keep a weapon intact long enough to matter in October.

The Domino Effect That Shapes the Roster

Stanton’s health doesn’t just affect the DH slot. It quietly determines how the Yankees construct their entire lineup.

• Aaron Judge slides into more DH days when the elbows flare and the lineup needs oxygen.
• Cody Bellinger shifts across the outfield to keep defense stable while roles change.
• Jasson Domínguez moves from “timeline” to “option” the moment the lineup needs another everyday outfielder.

That’s also why the Yankees brought in veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk on a minor-league deal — a right-handed bench option who can absorb specific at-bats and keep the roster from scrambling if the alignment shifts.

It’s not a headline move. It’s roster insulation.

Boone’s View: This Is Mental Toughness

There’s a reason the Yankees talk about Stanton differently inside the building than fans do online. Boone doesn’t describe him as fragile. He describes him as relentless — sometimes to a fault.

“For me, he’s the poster child of mentally tough.”

And Boone also admitted what the Yankees have to do with a player like this: protect him from his own competitiveness.

“We have to stay disciplined to this because you’re so critical to us.”

The Uncomfortable Truth the Yankees Have Accepted

There’s a version of the Yankees that needs Stanton for 162 games. That version doesn’t exist anymore.

The 2026 Yankees are built for a different reality — one where Stanton’s presence is maximized, his absences are survivable, and his power remains a postseason weapon.

Stanton hears the outside noise, too. He knows what people assume when they see missed time.

“The (public) outlook would be that I wouldn’t be (mentally tough) because I’ve missed games.”

His answer isn’t a plea. It’s a stance. He’s not asking anyone to understand it — he’s telling you how he’s going to operate anyway.

“Just get me in the box.”

Why This Still Gives the Yankees a Path

Stanton remains one of baseball’s most dangerous October hitters and an active home run leader within reach of the 500 club. The Yankees aren’t ignoring his limitations — they’re engineering around them.

Because if Stanton is healthy enough to hit when the season is on the line, the rest of the calculus fades.

And if he isn’t, the uncomfortable truth is this: the Yankees have already built a plan for that reality, too.