TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton’s post workout batting practice session against a pitching machine lasted 90 minutes Tuesday at Steinbrenner Field.
The New York Yankees slugger was joined by teammate DJ LeMahieu for the first 20 minutes, then went solo except for short breaks to pace around the batting cage or talk with hitting coach James Rowson.
“If I don’t get my work in, then I’m just thinking about it all day,” Stanton said. “So, there’s no point in being at home just thinking about doing this anyway.”
A slimmed-down Stanton is known for extra work. The 34-year-old was still hitting opposite-field homers to right field during his final minutes of BP.
“Whatever I need to get it to what I need to feel,” Stanton said.
Stanton has not played a full season since 2018, the first year after New York acquired him from the Miami Marlins. He missed 266 of 708 games in the past five seasons (38%) because of a strained right biceps and strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadriceps (2021), right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis (2022) and strained left hamstring (2023).
Stanton hit .233 with 97 homers and 259 RBIs over the past five years, down from .265 with 302 homers and 772 RBIs in his first nine seasons.
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