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Free agent slugger JD Martinez

No new reports on who the New York Yankees could be targeting in response to the uncertainty surrounding Giancarlo Stanton . 

Just one report on who likely will not be joining the team. 

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post , the Yankees have had conversations with representatives for J.D. Martinez as a potential fit at designated hitter. However, the two sides reportedly “don’t seem close,” in large part due to the unwillingness of New York to add more to its payroll. 

That unwillingness could change depending on the status of Stanton, who will be on the injury list to begin the season .  

Giancarlo Stanton Left Spring Training Due to Pain in Both Elbows

Stanton left spring training in Florida in late February due to pain in both of his elbows, which Yankees manager Aaron Boone likened to “tennis elbow.” Unable to practice for several weeks prior to his departure, Stanton received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in both elbows and initially hoped to be back in camp a week or two later. 

However, Stanton’s elbow pain did not improve, and he got a second round of PRP injections in both elbows on Thursday. Stanton has not swung a bat in five weeks, and no timetable has been given on when to expect he can return to baseball activities, but general manager Brian Cashman stressed that Stanton and the Yankees are not ready to contemplate “last resort” measures. 

“I can’t rule out a surgery, but I know it’s not recommended in the front end of this thing,” Cashman said. “But obviously if you have a number of different failed attempts, then you start looking at different ways of intervention.” 

Late on Friday, New York Post reporter Greg Joyce posted on X (formerly Twitter) that team officials indicate Stanton will return to New York on Monday for a third round of PRP injections.

Stanton dealt with the elbow issues for much of last season, battling through them during his momentous playoff effort, as he was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series and helped lead the Yankees to the World Series. But the pain returned as Stanton was preparing to leave for spring training. 

“Obviously [we] thought we were in a good place and I think he was feeling in a good place, but then it reared its ugly head three weeks before camp, is my understanding,” Cashman said. “Now we’re dealing with it. Give it the time it needs and we’ll clearly look forward to getting him back, but obviously in the near term that won’t be the case.” 

Injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu Have Yankees Considering Options

With DJ LeMahieu also dealing with injuries , the Yankees have been mentioned in trade rumors involving several different players, but team officials seem inclined to rely on internal options , at least in the first part of the season. Boone recently hyped the work of Ben Rice, Dom Smith and Everson Pereira as potential players to fill the gaps. 

“So we’ll see. We got a few weeks before we get there and then it keeps evolving from there,” Boone said. “We’ll see what our final roster looks like, but I like the in-house candidates, especially against right-handed pitching that we’ll be able to weather that storm.” 

The Yankees are scheduled to open the season March 27 at home against Milwaukee. 

Dave Benson Dave Benson is a longtime writer with over three decades of experience in a variety of mediums, including 15 years covering high school, collegiate and minor league sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent a few years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson

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