Yankees' Stanton won't blame elbow injuries on torpedo bats - ESPN

NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton, one of the first known adopters of the torpedo bat, declined Tuesday to say whether he believes using it last season caused the tendon ailments in both elbows that forced him to begin this season on the injured list.

Last month, Stanton alluded to «bat adjustments» he made last season as a possible reason for the epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, he began experiencing during the offseason.

«You're not going to get the story you're looking for,» Stanton said. «So if that's what you guys want, that ain't going to happen.»

Stanton said he will continue using the torpedo bat when he returns from injury. The 35-year-old slugger, who shared during spring training that season-ending surgery on both elbows was a possibility, said he's been hitting off a Trajekt — a pitching robot that simulates any pitcher's windup, arm angle and arsenal — but he wouldn't define his return as «close.»

He said he will first have to go on a minor league rehab assignment at an unknown date for an unknown period. It won't start in the next week, he added.

«This is very unique,» Stanton said. «I definitely haven't missed a full spring before. So it just depends on my timing really, how fast I get to feel comfortable in the box versus live pitching.»

While the craze of the torpedo bat (also known as the bowling pin bat) has swept the baseball world since it was revealed Saturday --while they were blasting nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers — that a few members of the New York Yankees were using one, the modified bat already had quietly spread throughout the majors in 2024. Both Stanton and former Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, now with the Cincinnati Reds, were among players who used the bats last