Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton Battles Unseen Pain, Faces Shocking Season Uncertainty

Giancarlo Stanton’s love affair with the Yankees and their elusive World Series ring runs deeper than ever, even as his elbows stage a relentless rebellion. This guy — a towering slugger still swinging with fury despite ongoing chronic tendinitis — recently opened up about why surgery just isn’t on his to-do list. Believe it or not, he’s dealing with pain that’s bad enough to keep him from cracking open a bag of chips or even popping a bottle. Yet, against all odds, Big G is dead set on playing a full season and snagging that championship glory. Last year’s stats? A staggering 158 wRC+ and 24 home runs in 77 games — clearly, he’s still got the brawn to mash through the aches. Meanwhile, the Yankees are rolling, with fresh spring training stories buzzing: from Elmer Rodríguez’s on-point pitching against the Braves to Ryan Weathers’ revamped offseason routine aimed at health and longevity. And let’s tip our cap to the late Bruce Froemming, the legendary umpire who lived and breathed baseball, leaving behind a legacy etched in big league lore. There’s a lot happening around the Bronx Bombers — excitement, grit, and some good old-fashioned baseball drama. You want the full scoop, don’t you? LEARN MORE

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Giancarlo Stanton is obsessed with winning a World Series with the Yankees. It’s too bad his elbows keep getting in the way. In an interview with Miller, the slugger explained why he didn’t want to undergo surgery to address the chronic tendinitis that is still affecting him, and reminded the world that he can’t open a bottle or a bag of chips. However, he clarified that he wants to play a full season and take home the trophy. As his 158 wRC+ and 24 home runs in 77 games last year proved, Big G can still mash with his current condition.

SNY | Alex Smith: The Yankees beat the Braves 7-3 on Thursday, with another solid outing by Elmer Rodríguez and home runs by Paul Goldschmidt, Spencer Jones, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Rodríguez allowed two runs in three innings of work, striking out four and walking one. His changeup looked on point; he got seven whiffs and his spring ERA now stands at 3.00.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Spring training star Ryan Weathers changed his offseason routine with the intention of staying healthy. The new habits, explained in detail by Phillips, involve the elimination of “some lifting patterns in the weight room” and the implementation of “more ground-based rolling exercises that, with the help of a foam roller, focused on his spine.” Yankees fans are praying to every god they know for these habits to pay off, because he is looking fantastic on the mound.

CBS 58 News Milwaukee | Kathryn Merck: Retired MLB umpire Bruce Froemming, whose career spanned from 1971 to 2007, passed away on Wednesday, aged 86. He umpired the third-most games in league history, and spent most of his career in the National League. His strike call was unique, and he is best known by Yankees fans for being the umpire who ejected Billy Martin in Game 4 of the 1976 World Series. Rest in peace.

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