The New York Yankees are facing uncertainty over designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton’s recovery from elbow tendinitis. While his potential return is tentatively set for late April to early May, the timeline remains uncertain. In addition to Stanton’s injury, concerns are growing about early-season performance due to injuries to DJ LeMahieu and Luis Gil. With the American League East shaping up to be highly competitive, the Yankees will need to find reliable replacements for their sidelined players. Reports indicate that free agent J.D. Martinez and Ben Rice are among the options being considered as potential substitutes for Stanton.
Yankees Check In on J.D. Martinez
Martinez is close to a one-to-one replacement for Stanton as a right-handed hitting DH. The 37-year-old batted .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs for the New York Mets last season, though that was split into an .806 OPS in the first half and .623 in the second. He was mostly out of the lineup during the team’s late postseason push and through October.
However, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman indicated that it might be hard to “figure out how to bring him in as a stopgap player because there’s surely hope and expectation for Stanton to return.”
Even if there was slight interest, checking in on Martinez is seen as a first step in case Stanton ends up missing significant time. Martinez has limited roster utility as a virtual DH-only player at this point in his career. He would certainly take a one-year deal for the third season and a pay cut after dropping from $19.3 million in 2022, $12 million in 2023 to $10 million last season. That, and the Yakees’ payroll already is above the highest luxury tax threshold. The Yankees would have to pay a 60% surcharge on every dollar that goes to Martinez.
No Back Up Plan in Place
Boone admitted to reporters that there isn’t a concrete backup plan in place. He noted, “A little bit of that depends on the final makeup of our club,” with the decision likely hinging on whether Stanton’s roster spot goes to Rice, non-roster outfielder/first baseman Dominic Smith, someone else in camp, or perhaps a late-spring waiver claim. Whether it’s Rice or Smith, the Yankees appear ready to patch their lineup internally for now, banking on their often-injured DH returning to full health in time to play a key role in both the regular season and postseason.
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