New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is in danger of missing Opening Day as he deals with pain in both elbows. Stanton, who told reporters that the pain level has been "very high," hasn't swung a bat in nearly a month as he deals with what Yankees manager Aaron Boone described as something close to "tennis elbow."
As it turns out, the pain Stanton is feeling in the tendons of his elbows could trace directly back to his swing. Doctor Timothy Gibson of MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center explained to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic that Stanton's fast and "violent" swing, powered by his tight grip on the bat, could be putting extra stress on his elbows.
"If you swing harder than anybody, that means you’re holding on to the bat tighter than everybody," Gibson said. "If he’s using more of his arms, there’s a lot of stress across his elbows."
"That’s his style, though," Gibson continued. "I would not be surprised if you did a biomechanical study and saw the stress of his elbows, it’s more than any other player. Just swinging harder than everyone puts more strain on them than anyone else. That’s just logic."
The 6' 6", 245-pound Stanton is built more like a linebacker than ballplayer, and he uses this muscular frame to bludgeon the baseball better than most in MLB. Since the Statcast era began, Stanton owns the most balls hit over 120-MPH, and he has ranked inside the top 10 in average exit velocity in each of the last four seasons.
Not only does Stanton cause damage when he swings, he also swings harder than anyone in MLB. In '24, the Yankees slugger led baseball in average bat speed, at 81.3 MPH. Such metrics have led to elite production—he is the active career home run leader with 429—and injuries. Stanton has played over 150 games in a regular season just once since joining the Yankees, and has been plagued by various lower-body ailments.
This time, it's an upper-body ailment that has Stanton in danger of missing games. And the solution may not be so simple.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giancarlo Stanton's Elbow Injuries Could Be Caused by 'Violent Swing,' Says Doctor.
