New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton can swing a bat, but don’t count on his help opening that bag of Doritos.
Stanton enters a third year of fighting through pain and discomfort from epicondylitis — commonly referred to as tennis elbow — in both arms and has yet to make an appearance in spring training. He’s also a limited participant in the pantry.
“I can’t open a bottle,” Stanton told NJ.com of his physical challenges. “I can’t open a bag of chips … a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”
Stanton, 36, smacked 24 home runs in 77 games for the Yankees last season, but he didn’t play in a game until June.
He has only had more than 420 at-bats once — 510 in 2021 — since 2018, his first season with the Yankees.
His timeline to play regularly for New York is being determined, but Stanton currently is scheduled to play in an exhibition game between the Yankees and Team Panama in a World Baseball Classic tuneup on Tuesday. Opening Day is March 25 at San Francisco, and Stanton expects to be in the lineup after two weeks of consistent at-bats.
“Just get me in the box. The key is get in the box,” he said.
–Field Level Media
