Giancarlo Stanton will not be ready for Opening Day.
The Yankees slugger came into camp with tennis elbow in both of his elbows, which has kept him from performing any baseball activities. The former NL MVP even went back to New York to get further testing done to determine his options before he received PRP injections and will start the season on the IL.
Stanton’s absence is a huge blow to a Yankees lineup that lost Juan Soto in the offseason, and is searching for the right player to protect Aaron Judge. While there is no shortage of veterans on the team and around the diamond who can help pick up the slack, the Yankees have to find someone to take Stanton’s spot on Opening Day.
Unlike the competition for third base, Stanton was a DH so the Yankees will have some wiggle room on who they can choose. Here are some of the best candidates they can choose from…
Everson Pereira
Pereira was once a highly-touted Yankees prospect but has had a bit of bad luck of late.
In 2023, the 23-year-old was called up but struggled. He slashed .151/.233/.194 with a .427 OPS and four doubles to go along with his 10 RBI across 27 games.
Despite those struggles, major league experience is invaluable, and he was a solid outfielder. Unfortunately, Pereira won’t be seeing the field any time soon. He suffered an elbow injury last spring that required surgery, costing him the 2024 season.
Now, Pereira is healthy enough to swing a bat but may be strictly a DH, which is all he’s done early in camp. Pereira has looked comfortable at the plate so far in spring, and he can run the bases well. But being limited to DH duties may not be what the Yankees want to start the season.
However, Pereira could be the best right-handed option in camp.
Ben Rice
Rice, like Pereira, has major league experience. With the injury to Anthony Rizzo last year, Rice was called up to play first base. A catcher by trade, Rice proved to be serviceable, if not a bit rough around the edges, at first and at the plate.
Across 50 games, Rice slashed .171/.264/.349 with a .613 OPS. While those numbers aren’t pretty to look at, the 26-year-old showed his prodigious power, launching seven home runs — three coming in one game.
Rice is an intriguing choice as he has experience playing first and has played behind the plate this spring. That utility could be a potential lane for Rice to be the team’s DH and third catcher on the bench, especially as a power-hitting left-hander who could pair with a right-hander.
Dominic Smith
The veteran infielder/outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Yankees this offseason and could be an intriguing left-handed option for the team heading into the regular season.
Smith slashed .233/.313/.378 with a .691 OPS with two teams a season ago, but the ability to play infield and outfield could mean an opportunity opens up, especially if Oswaldo Cabrera, who also has that same versatility, continues to struggle this spring.
The problem with Smith is that he’s not on the 40-man roster, but that can be easily solved if Stanton or another player has to go on long-term IR.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has made a living out of picking up veterans to plug holes (see: Matt Carpenter), and Smith fits that bill to a tee.
Aaron Judge
Yes, the Yankees could increase the number of games Judge plays at DH in 2025 until Stanton gets back, similar to what they did last season. Although Judge likes to play the field, and the team prefers its captain out in right field, this could open up the opportunity to get Trent Grisham more games playing center while shifting Cody Bellinger to right.
“I’m good with whatever you’ve got to do, because I know we’ve got a lot of good outfield options,” Judge told the media. “So [maybe] that opens up a chance for Grisham, who’s been swinging the bat well on the back fields, to maybe get some more playing time. Or maybe move Cody over to right for a little bit; whatever we’ve got to do to help the team win.”
Judge slashed .327/.457/.587 with a 1.044 OPS in 41 games as a DH last season, the most games he’s played as the team’s designated hitter in his career.
Other options
The Yankees have not used Stanton in the field much in two years, and that was likely not going to change in 2025, which facilitated the need for versatility from the bench. The organization said there’s a possibility that third base will be a platoon, encompassing a combination of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza and Cabrera. So, carrying extra infielders might be the play for the Yankees as they wait to see who takes the job.
LeMahieu — if he makes it to Opening Day healthy — or Peraza would provide the right-handed bat on the bench the Yankees need, at least for now.
Aside from Smith, there aren’t a lot of non-roster invitees that could fit. The only outfielder with any major league experience is Duke Ellis, who appeared in three games for the Yanks last season but is also a lefty. Infielder Pablo Reyes also has major league experience and is right-handed, while switch-hitter and hometown kid Andrew Velazquez could find his way back onto the team.
As for options that are already on the 40-man roster, most have already been covered above while other names include prospects like Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr.
While Jones has hit well in early spring, he needs more seasoning. Same goes for Lombard Jr.
The Yankees could also look outside the organization and sign a hitter like free agent J.D. Martinez, who the team has reportedly made contact with this offseason but is an unlikely fit considering the Yankees’ self-imposed payroll limitations.
