New York — The Yankees woke up Wednesday morning with a 20-10 record and two fresh injury concerns that could complicate their depth in very different ways over the coming weeks.
Giancarlo Stanton is on the 10-day injured list with a low-grade right calf strain. He has no timetable for his return. A sports medicine expert is warning that Yankees fans should not count on the shorter end of the recovery range.
Reliever Angel Chivilli will not throw for at least three weeks. Manager Aaron Boone disclosed an acute shoulder issue affecting the young pitcher Wednesday. Both setbacks arrive as the Yankees begin a homestand Friday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Stanton speaks, but offers no timeline
Stanton was injured last Friday during the series opener in Houston against the Astros. He was jogging between first and second base when he felt the tightness. He did not play again over the weekend. An MRI taken Monday in Arlington confirmed a low-grade right calf strain. The Yankees placed him on the 10-day IL on Tuesday. The 36-year-old slugger addressed reporters at Globe Life Field before Tuesday’s game. He expressed relief the injury was not worse. But his own words made clear that a firm timeline did not exist.
Asked directly how long he expected to miss, Stanton gave an honest but uncertain answer.
“I don’t know. I’ve got to move around. Probably in the homestand we’ll have better gauge than right now. Yeah, I don’t have a timetable.”
Stanton said he had started to feel improvement over the weekend, but acknowledged the limits of what that information could tell him.
“It’s way less activity, so it’s hard to gauge. I don’t really feel it walking, but that’s not saying too much. I’m doing exercises, I’m not running around. I’m just doing the protocol right now.”
He also addressed the mental side of going back on the IL. He has made that trip 10 times since 2018. His lower-body injury history includes a left quad strain in 2021, right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis in 2022, left hamstring strains in 2023 and 2024, and epicondylitis in both elbows in 2025. This right calf strain adds yet another chapter.
“At this point there’s no real peace of mind, just you’re gonna be out. It’s better it won’t be a long time, but out again is not ideal.”
Boone echoed cautious optimism but was careful not to set a timeline. Stanton’s long injury history adds uncertainty to any projected return date.
“It’s low grade, so hopefully it’s not something that’s long, but obviously G has had some of these lower body issues before and we’re just going to listen to that and certainly not rush anything. But hopefully it’s on the shorter side of things.”
Sports medicine doctor raises the alarm
The Yankees and Stanton spoke carefully about the injury on Tuesday. But a board-certified sports medicine physician offered a sharper assessment of what the diagnosis could actually mean.
Dr. Jesse Morse is a board-certified sports medicine physician specializing in non-surgical orthopedics. He explained the anatomy and recovery patterns of calf strains in a public analysis. Morse noted that calf injuries heal slowly. They also carry a high risk of reinjury because of the structure of the muscle tissue involved.
He identified the most common location of such a strain and explained why that specific area is problematic for athletes.
“The gastrocnemius muscle is split into 2, medial and lateral. The most common location for a strain is the lower part of the medial gastrocnemius, as it has an area of poor blood flow. The calf muscle is similar to the groin muscle when it injures, it heals very slowly and these 2 areas commonly reinjure easily.”
Morse then set out the recovery range that should concern Yankees fans most. A mild Grade 1 strain typically means at least two to three weeks out. A moderate Grade 2 strain is a far longer absence.
“Usually these take at least 2-3 weeks to return to play, even for a mild grade 1. If it is more of a moderate grade 2 strain, then missing 6-8 weeks is more likely.”
Stanton’s MRI classified his strain as low grade. But Morse’s analysis makes clear that even a low-grade calf injury is not something to rush. The Yankees have not specified which part of the calf was affected. They have not confirmed whether any Grade 2 involvement exists.
Chivilli adds to Yankees bullpen strain
Separately, the Yankees confirmed Wednesday that reliever Angel Chivilli is dealing with right shoulder discomfort. He will not throw for a minimum of three weeks. Boone disclosed the news after discussing Stanton’s situation. It added a second concern to the Yankees’ already stretched relief corps.
Boone was straightforward when describing Chivilli’s shoulder status and why a firm diagnosis had not yet been attached to the timeline.
“Acute and chronic stuff going on there.”
The phrase is significant. It signals that Chivilli’s shoulder problem is not a sudden isolated incident. Prior wear in the joint exists alongside the current flare-up. Boone did not offer a specific diagnosis.
Chivilli was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 16. He made two appearances for the Yankees, throwing 2 and a third innings. Now he is shut down for at least three weeks. Losing him so soon after his recall adds strain to a Yankees bullpen that has already leaned heavily on David Bednar, Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz. The Yankees have won 10 of their past 11 games. Sustaining that pace with a shorter bullpen will be tested in the weeks ahead.
The Yankees open a four-game Yankees homestand Friday against Baltimore. Whether Stanton returns during those games or pushes into May will become clearer once he can run without restriction.
What do you think? A blessing in disguise for the Yankees?
