The New York Yankees placed Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list Wednesday with a calf strain.
Stanton was having a spectacular start to the 2022 season, batting .285/.339/.523 with 11 home runs in 40 games. The 32-year-old slugger will now miss at least 10 days.
The Yankees boast an MLB-best 30-13 record, but they’ve suddenly gotten besieged by injuries.
Pitchers Chad Green and Luis Gil will both undergo Tommy John surgery. Closer Aroldis Chapman went on the IL with an Achilles injury Tuesday, and the Yankees also placed reliever Jonathan Loáisiga on the IL with right shoulder inflammation.
Even if Stanton doesn’t require a lengthy absence, the timing is unfortunate. The Yankees will travel to Tampa Bay on Thursday to start a four-game series against the Rays, who are second in the AL East.
Stanton is one of baseball’s fiercest hitters when healthy, but he’s often struggled to stay on the field. The 2017 NL MVP missed significant time in 2019 and 2020 before belting 35 homers in 579 plate appearances last season.
The Yankees will rely on a red-hot Aaron Judge to spark their lineup in Stanton’s absence.