:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72191304/1251918548.0.jpg "Giancarlo Stanton injury update: When will Yankees outfielder return to lineup this season?")
Over the weekend, the New York Yankees and their fans found themselves in a position they've become all too accustomed to over the last few years: bracing for the news of yet another Giancarlo Stanton injury.
The former NL MVP wasn't in New York's lineup on Sunday afternoon, and a couple of hours later we learned why: Stanton had apparently suffered a hamstring injury at some point during the Yankees' four-game series against the Minnesota Twins. The slugger was immediately put on the 10-day injured list, but when might the slugger be able to return to the Bronx? We've got the latest updates.
PLAYER NAME injury update
April 18 – The team announced that Stanton was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the same one that's currently sidelining Texas Rangers star Corey Seager. Seager's timeline was four to six weeks, and sure enough, it sounds like Stanton will miss around the same amount of time. That would put his return at around the end of May.
In the meantime, New York will probably roll with a combination of waiver add Franchy Cordero, Spring Training star (and former top prospect) Willie Calhoun and utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera to cover a combination of right field and DH. This will probably also mean more playing time for Aaron Hicks, which is a sentence that no Yankees fan wants to read at this point.
It's not all doom and gloom, though: Harrison Bader is set to begin a rehab assignment and should be back with the Major League club soon, providing some much-needed outfield depth. (Luis Severino and Carlos Rodon are also making good progress as they attempt to return from their respective injuries.) There's no replacing Stanton's bat in the lineup, but if there's any general manager who knows how to cobble together regular-season wins, it's Brian Cashman.