Last week, the New York Yankees took a step forward into the modern world by allowing room for growth. This week, Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton appears to have taken a step backward in his recovery.

The 16-year veteran has been in a holding pattern with tennis elbow in both arms throughout spring training. He told reporters that he hadn’t swung a bat in three or four weeks when he reported for spring training. The injury has threatened his availability for Opening Day, but he may end up missing even more time than initially feared.

While the Bronx Bombers continue preparations for the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Stanton returned to New York for further medical evaluation. The veteran slugger will consult with team physician Dr. Chris Ahmad on Monday and undergo testing and procedures to determine the extent of the injury, according to Randy Miller of NJ.com.

Giancarlo Stanton’s injury updates are only getting bleaker

While Opening Day is still a month away, the news surrounding the oft-injured slugger doesn’t seem to be getting any better. When Yankees manager Aaron Boone addressed Stanton’s injury on Monday, he told reporters that there’s “nothing imminent” on his return.

The Yankees already lost Juan Soto this winter, which made Stanton’s bat considerably more vital to the team’s success. New York has few viable replacements available if Stanton misses an extended period of time. Ben Rice, Dominic Smith and J.C. Escarra are all potential options, but none of them can replicate Stanton’s power with consistency.

“The pain was very high in general,” Stanton said earlier this month, via Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. “Tennis elbow or however they call it, is tears in your tendon, so it’s not when did it feel good, when did it feel bad? There’s always the pain level there and you got to deal with that. So, yeah, it’s just the wisest point to give time right now.”

The 35-year-old said he felt the pain for most of last year, with the pain in each elbow starting two months apart. He’ll likely deal with that lingering pain throughout the entirety of this season as well. The Yankees will likely take a cautious approach to ensure Stanton’s availability in October, particularly due to his extensive injury history.

“Definitely not just soreness,” he said. “It’s a manageable thing. That’s how the year last year and this year will go.”

Stanton hit .233 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 114 games last year, but was sidelined for over a month with a strained left hamstring. He returned before August and played a vital role in the postseason, which culminated with the Yankees winning their first American League pennant since 2009. Stanton batted .273 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in the postseason.