Giancarlo Stanton's not-so-subtle reaction to Yankees injury rumor said it all

Giancarlo Stanton was a controversial figure (among those whose baseball fandom is stuck in the 1960s) long before he found himself laid up on the Injured List to begin the season with dual elbow injuries.

Stanton's injury history is checkered and extensive, but tendonitis/small tears in both elbows at the same time - an issue he played through with great success during the 2024 postseason - represented a new low for many of his side-eyed non-admirers. Whatever caused this, they agreed, must be banished whenever he returned to ensure it would not happen again.

After all, rumors persisted that someone had made a change to Stanton's bat, and that special 'someone' was no longer with the organization. The "issue," whether genuinely the cause of Stanton's injury troubles or not, had been "dealt with".

...until that "someone" was lauded as a conquering hero during the Yankees' season-opening sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. It sure seems like that "hero" is Aaron Leanhardt, the revolutionary pioneer of the "Torpedo Bat" that swept the baseball world this weekend. Now with the Marlins, Leanhardt previously developed the technology during his Yankees tenure, and Stanton absolutely dominated while using the enhanced barrel.

While discussing his recovery, Stanton was asked whether or not he would return to the Torpedoes after hitting at full strength. While not directly providing any inflammatory fuel in either direction, he made it clear he had no intention of altering operations from what worked last season.

So, yes, he used them to great success last season, and will continue to. Case closed.

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton will return to Torpedo Bats when he recovers from latest elbow injuries

No blame. No backward thinking. And, most importantly, no pivot moving forward. Clearly, Stanton blames only himself - or his body's natural order - for the way things deteriorated. His equipment may have played a role in the adjustment process - and, if that's true, he doesn't particularly care. It worked. He may have to absorb a degree of pain for the rest of his career, but that doesn't seem to be an overarching concen, either, in the name of winning.

And Stanton certainly did win while unveiling the Torpedo Bat last season, winning ALCS MVP on the strength of (estimated) 34,928 clutch home runs in five games against the Cleveland Guardians.

When he returns (and it does feel like a "when" these days rather than an "if"), he'll be doing so after getting up to speed using the same equipment that helped fuel his late career secondary breakout last fall. You can criticize them, if you want. He'll just keep looking forward and building momentum.