Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are likely to miss Opening Day as they continue to battle back from injuries, New York general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at Yankees’ spring training in Tampa, Fla., Cashman said Judge was undergoing tests on his pectoral area after originally being sidelined by a sore right shoulder.
“I don’t see it right now,” Cashman said of Judge being ready for Opening Day. “It’s more likely than not, I don’t see him ready by Opening Day because of the timeframe. We have three and a half weeks and just the healing and then having a spring training.”
As for Stanton, he’s recuperating from a Grade 1 right calf strain that he suffered last week.
“I’d say it’s unrealistic personally, to have him for Opening Day …” Cashman said. “Obviously, we got to get the healing component done for a grade one strain and then rehab him. … I think we’d rather be safe than sorry. So my gut would be he wouldn’t be ready by Opening Day.
“That doesn’t mean I’m right, but I would say it’s better to assume he won’t be ready, but he will be in theory ready in April at some point,” Cashman said.
The Yankees open the season on March 26 in Baltimore against the Orioles.
New York was looking forward to a full season with their standout outfielders, both of whom were limited by injuries in 2019.
Last season, Stanton played in just 18 games because of bicep and knee injuries, batting .288 with three home runs and 13 RBIs in 59 at-bats. In 2018, his first season with the Yankees, he hit .266 with 38 home runs and 100 RBIs in 158 games.
Stanton, 30, is a four-time All-Star and was the National League MVP in 2017 with the Miami Marlins.
Judge, the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year, missed 60 games last season because of a shoulder injury and an oblique strain. He hit .272 with 18 doubles, 27 home runs and 55 RBIs.
In 2017, he hit 52 home runs and had 114 RBIs.
Fantasy Update: When healthy, Judge and Stanton are elite fantasy performers. But injuries were a problem for both players last season. With that said, Judge could drop in drafts — and be a steal — due to his uncertainty to start the season. As for Stanton, proceed with caution, but don’t hesitate to take a late-round flyer on him.
