"You pay him to play in postseason"; "JD Martinez you are a Yankee" - Fans react as Giancarlo Stanton lands on IL to start season

The New York Yankees will be without veteran All-Star Giancarlo Stanton for Opening Day as last year's ALCS MVP will be on the injured list for the start of the 2025 season.

The Yankees announced Stanton's IL stint on Saturday, following uncertainty about his elbow health after his early Spring Training exit. The five-time All-Star is dealing with tennis elbow in both arms and received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in New York.

Stanton's time on the injured list is not new; the 35-year-old has had at least one IL stint for six consecutive seasons. Fans reacted to the injury-riddled star's latest issue.

"You pay him to play in the postseason. That’s it," wrote a fan alluding to Stanton's injury history.

"JD Martinez you're a Yankee," wrote another fan.

"Tell us something we don’t know," chimed in another fan.

Several fans alluded to the veteran slugger's injury struggles as he hasn't had an injury-free season since 2018.

"That's a tough blow for the Yankees. Stanton's injury history has been a recurring issue, and starting the season on the IL isn't ideal for a team looking to bounce back," wrote a fan.

"Giancarlo Stanton and injury in the same sentence?????" teased a sarcastic fan.

Some fans found a silver lining with Stanton's injury, wishing him a quick recovery and being healthy for a potential postseason run.

"Rest up sweet prince. We’ll wake you up when September ends," a fan wrote.

"I'm okay with this. I need Stanton after All-Star break and in the playoffs."

Despite an injury-riddled 2024, Giancarlo Stanton came in clutch for the team in the postseason, helping the team over the line against the Cleveland Guardians in the Championship Series, winning the ALCS MVP title.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone reflects on Giancarlo Stanton's latest setback

With Giancarlo Stanton set to miss the start of the season, the Yankees will need to make a few changes to the hitting lineup. However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone wants the veteran star healthy even if he misses a chunk at the start.

“The biggest thing is getting him right, and if that costs us a little bit on the front end, so be it,” Boone said. “I do feel like we’ll get to a good spot with this. It’s a long year.”

Yankees captain Aaron Judge will likely be moved to a designated hitter role to fill Stanton's void and the two-time MVP is open to whatever changes Boone has to make for the Opening Day.

“You can’t really replace Stanton, his production and what he does -- having somebody like that in the middle of the lineup. But I’m open. Boonie always communicates well with me on what his plan is and what he wants to do.”

The Yankees hope for a strong start in Giancarlo Stanton's absence and the responsibility will be with Aaron Judge, who would expect support from Cody Bellinger and co.