Stanton become latest Yanks injury woe, likely misses opener
New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will likely miss opening day because of a strained right calf, another significant injury for a team that was beset by health problems last season.
Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton was hurt near the end of defensive drills on Tuesday. An MRI found a Grade 1 strain.
“It will probably put us against it a little bit,” Boone said Wednesday. “I would say it’s time for him to get back, but then getting built up and stuff. We’ll see.”
The announcement came a day after New York said All-Star pitcher Luis Severino needed Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire season. Slugger Aaron Judge and lefty James Paxton already had been slowed this spring by injuries.
The Yankees put a major league-record 30 players on the injured list last year, with Stanton missing most of the season.
Asked if felt snake-bitten, Boone replied “No.”
The AL East champion Yankees open on March 26 at Baltimore.
Stanton played in just 18 games due a number of injuries last season, batting .288 with three homers in 59 at-bats. He hit 38 homers in his first year with the Yankees in 2018, one year after a going deep a career-high 59 times in 2017 with the Miami Marlins.
The outfielder/designated hitter signed a $325 million, 13-year contract after the 2014 season.
Elsewhere around the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues:
YANKEES 8, NATIONALS 2
Masahiro Tanaka gave up a two-run homer and struck out two in his two-inning start and Zack Britton fanned two in a perfect inning of relief in a rain-shortened game. Miguel Andujar, D.J. LeMahieu and Clint Frazier each doubled for the Yankees.
Originally scheduled to pitch Saturday in a game that was rained out, Joe Ross got the start for the Nationals and threw two perfect innings.
MARLINS 8, CARDINALS (SS) 7
South Korean star Kwang-Hyun Kim threw two perfect innings for St. Louis in his spring debut. Matt Carpenter was a late scratch with back stiffness. Dylan Carlson, a 2016 first-round draft pick, singled and tripled.
CARDINALS (SS) 7, ASTROS (SS) 5
Houston star Alex Bregman homered in the third inning and was hit in the back by a pitch from minor leaguer Ramon Santos the next time up. It was the seventh time an Astros batter has been plunked in five spring games, this coming after the team’s sign-stealing scam was revealed in the offseason.
Myles Straw homered twice, one of them an inside-the-park drive. Jose Urquidy got four outs in the start, allowing two hits, one of them a home run.
Hanser Alberto hit two singles and Dilson Herrera doubled for the Orioles. Asher Wojciechowski gave up a homer and struck out two over two innings.
Travis d’Arnaud singled and homered for the Braves and 2019 draft pick Bryce Ball homered.
Jean Segura doubled and singled in a start at third base for the Phillies. Zach Eflin walked one over two scoreless innings. Sergio Romo gave up two hits and an earned run in an inning of relief.
Jake Odorizzi allowed a run on two hits. Nelson Cruz hit his second spring home run for Minnesota.
Scheduled to split time between second base and first for Boston, Michael Chavis hit a long home run that cleared the left field stands.
Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller struck out three of the five batters he retired, walked one and gave up three base hits.
Miami’s Adam Conley worked 1 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits.
TWINS (SS) 10, RAYS 8
Debuting a new slider, Devin Smeltzer worked into the third inning in his second spring outing, allowing three runs on five hits. Trevor Larnach hit his second spring home run.
Tampa Bay ace Blake Snell retired the side in order, striking out one, in his one-inning start. Michael Brosseau hit a two-run homer.
ASTROS (SS) 4, METS 2
Austin Pruitt gave up one hit over three scoreless innings in the start for Houston.
Noah Syndergaard pitched two scoreless innings in his start for the Mets, but reliever Edwin Diaz gave up two runs on three hits in an inning of relief. Ryan Cordell had two hits.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one hit over two scoreless innings in his spring debut for the Cubs and Alec Mills walked one in two more. Javier Baez hit his first home run of the spring and Jason Kipnis doubled.
Top pitching prospect Brady Singer started for the Royals allowed three hits and struck out two over two scoreless innings.
Justin Dunn made adjustments to his delivery over the offseason and he debuted those changes in a two-inning start for Seattle, striking out two and allowing a run on two hits. Wei-Yin Chen threw two perfect innings of relief. Tim Lopes doubled twice and Evan White hit his second two-base hit of the spring.
Sonny Gray made his spring debut for the Reds, giving up two hits and striking out three. Mark Payton had two hits and Christian Colon doubled.
ROYALS (SS) 7, WHITE SOX 6
Ryan McBroom singled and doubled and Bubba Starling doubled and homered for the Royals. Greg Holland struck out two in a perfect inning of relief.
Matt Tomshaw started for the White Sox and allowed a hit over two perfect innings, striking out a pair. Adam Engel hit a three-run homer.
Cody Thomas hit his second home run of the spring, a three-run shot. Josiah Gray, a 2018 pick by the Reds, started and gave up a hit in a scoreless inning and Kenley Jansen struck out the side in an inning of relief.
Griffin Canning walked one over two scoreless innings in the start and Hoby Milner struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning of relief.
ATHELTICS 16, DIAMONDBACKS 3
Matt Chapman homered and Seth Brown tripled for the A’s while Jonah Heim singled, doubled and drove in three runs. Frankie Montas worked a scoreless first inning and Jake Diekman allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless second.
Luke Weaver could not get out of the first inning in the start for Arizona, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two. Archie Bradley gave up a hit and struck out one in an inning of relief.
After five years pitching in Korea, Josh Lindblom got the start for the Brewers and struck out three over two innings, allowing a run on two hits. Josh Hader struck out the side in an inning of relief. Justin Smoak had two hits and Chad Spanberger doubled.
Brandon Crawford singled and homered and Evan Longoria doubled for the Giants. Jeff Samardzija worked a two-inning start, giving up a hit and a walk.
Nolan Arenado doubled and Brett Boswell hit a three-run homer for the Rockies. Ubaldo Jimenez gave up two hits and a run over his two-inning start.
Kolby Allard allowed a hit over two scoreless innings in the start for the Rangers and Juan Nicasio walked one and struck out two in an inning of relief.
Chris Paddack struck out three of the six batters he retired in the start for the Padres, who used seven pitchers to record the shutout. Wil Myers singled and hit his first home run of the spring. Edward Olivares homered and scored twice.
Adam Plutko gave up a hit over two scoreless innings in the start for the Indians. Oliver Perez walked one and struck out two in an inning.
