Angels vs Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton set for season debut vs Angels after 70-game absence

Giancarlo Stanton is set to make his long-awaited season debut for the New York Yankees on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, returning after missing 70 games due to elbow inflammation.

The power-hitting slugger has been sidelined since the start of the season but is now fully recovered and ready to bolster the Yankees’ lineup. Stanton’s return provides a major boost for a New York team chasing momentum in the AL playoff race.

The Yankees reinstated Stanton from the 60-day injured list, slotting him into the lineup as the designated hitter, batting fifth against the Angels. The team also designated infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes for assignment.



Stanton, 35, has missed the entire season so far while recovering from tendinitis in both elbows - an issue he battled through during the second half of last year.

Initially placed on the 10-day IL in late March, he was later moved to the 60-day IL in May due to persistent right and left elbow epicondylitis that resurfaced before spring training.

Stanton recently played in rehab games with Double-A Somerset. He went 3-for-11 with a double and four RBIs, showing promising signs ahead of his return to the big league lineup.

Last season, Stanton played exclusively as a DH, batting .233 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs over 114 games. Since joining the Yankees, he has hit .241 with 162 homers and 431 RBIs across seven seasons, but persistent injuries - including calf, hamstring, Achilles, and elbow issues - have kept him to an average of just 94.7 games per season.

Ahead of Monday’s game, manager Aaron Boone also announced that right-handed reliever Jake Cousins will undergo Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, ending his season before it began.