The New York Yankees have been hit by the injury bug at the beginning of spring training.
Five-time All-Star Giancarlo Stanton, who has 429 career home runs, has been shut down with pain in both elbows, similar to tennis elbow. The timeline for resuming baseball activities remains unclear, and he likely will miss Opening Day.
Stanton isn’t alone. According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, the Yankees are dealing with injuries to starter Clarke Schmidt (back), relievers Clayton Beeter (shoulder) and Jake Cousins (elbow), and outfielder Trent Grisham (hamstring).
Yankees injuries announced so far in camp:
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) February 19, 2025
Clarke Schmidt (cranky back)
Chase Hampton (flexor tendon, UCL)
Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows)
Trent Grisham (hamstring)
Clayton Beeter (shoulder)
Jake Cousins (elbow)
However, one top Yankees prospect is dealing with a serious injury that could cost him the entire season.
New York Yankees prospect dealing with flexor tendon, UCL injury
Chase Hampton, a 23-year-old pitcher ranked as New York’s sixth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2024, is dealing with a flexor tendon strain and an ulnar collateral ligament injury in his pitching elbow, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed to reporters.
“We’ll see what we have here, but just having an uneven season last year with some injury,” Boone told The Athletic. “He’s pretty bummed about that. We’ll see what we have and try and get it right.”
Hampton, who was ranked among MLB’s top 100 prospects entering the 2024 season, was limited to just seven minor-league starts last year due to flexor and groin strains. The right-hander is undergoing further testing in New York City. If Tommy John surgery is required to repair the UCL injury, he would miss the entire 2025 season and part of 2026.
The Yankees selected Hampton, a product of Texas Tech, in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
