Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton to start the season on injured list

TAMPA, Fla. — It came as no surprise, but it is a blow.

After Saturday’s 9-3 victory over the Astros, the Yankees announced that Giancarlo Stanton will start the season on the injured list.

That  was the organizational expectation when Stanton arrived with the rest of the Yankees' position players on Feb. 16 with inflammation in both elbows. Stanton said on Feb. 17 that he had not swung a bat in the previous three to four weeks. Taking swings didn’t sound imminent at the time, and it doesn’t sound imminent now.

Stanton left the team last Monday for what Aaron Boone called “personal” reasons,

“Giancarlo Stanton has remained in New York since leaving camp to tend to a matter personal in nature,” the Yankees said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “During this time he has continued with his treatment regimen, which included PRP injections to both elbows. Because of the elbow injuries, Stanton will begin the regular season on the injured list. He is anticipated to return to Tampa at some point during the coming week.”

On Feb. 17, the last time Stanton spoke publicly, he said the elbow condition was something he dealt with most of last season, including in the postseason, when he led the Yankees offensively, batting .273 with seven homers, 16 RBIs and a 1.048 OPS in 14 postseason games.

“You can’t replace a guy like him,” Aaron Judge said after going 1-for-2 with a two-run single Saturday in his spring training debut. “Besides the numbers he’s going to put up, just the fear factor. You’ve got No. 27 lurking on deck behind you kind of always helps you out. It’s going to be a tough blow, you can’t replace him, but we have a lot good options here.”

Judge said he’s been in contact with Stanton, with whom he’s close, during the last week.

“He’s frustrated,” Judge said. “We all want him back.”

DJ dinged again

The injury-plagued DJ LeMahieu, who entered camp as the frontrunner for the third-base job, made his spring training debut Saturday at DH and “tweaked” his left calf during his second at-bat, Boone said.

“That’s not ideal, just all that he’s had to deal with,” Boone said. “We’ll see how significant it is.”