Yankees Injury Update: Cam Schlittler hurt, Gerrit Cole progress, Giancarlo Stanton

We thought we were fully in the clear for a moment. But New York Yankees fans knew there was no way we'd escape completely unscathed after the first few days of spring training. While there were mostly positive updates, everybody will be closely monitoring Cam Schlittler's situation.

On Thursday, manager Aaron Boone revealed the right-hander was dealing with back inflammation and won't throw off of a mound for a few days. Schlittler said he "felt a tweak here and there" (haven't we all?), so the team will rightfully exercise caution.

This doesn't seem to be anything serious, but a big Year 2 for Schlittler can elevate the Yankees to new heights, so they'll really need him to get a full workload in spring training so he's prepared for a full 162-game slate.

Yankees injury updates also have good news on Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton

Also regarding the pitching staff, Gerrit Cole appears to be on an excellent trajectory. Many don't expect him back until June, but Boone dropped a piece of news on Wednesday that took everybody by surprise.

He said that Cole could appear in some games toward the end of spring, which we didn't even imagine was possible. Cole underwent Tommy John surgery last March, so his ability to pitch at all before the start of the regular season felt like it wasn't even going to be a consideration.

But when you factor in Cole's dedication and tremendous track record of being healthy and durable, it's not quite as crazy as we might've initially thought. Fans just shouldn't get ahead of themselves and now pencil him in for an earlier return in the regular season. Remember, longevity for 2026 is the key with Cole — he will be needed for the entirety of a potential World Series run.

And finally, we have Giancarlo Stanton, whose double elbow injury in 2025 took everybody by surprise. He missed the first two and a half months of last year after playing through tendinitis in 2024, but Boone said the slugger is a "full go" for spring training.

While we probably won't get 130+ games out of Stanton in 2026, having him unencumbered to begin the campaign feels like a luxury after all he's dealt with dating back to 2019. Between the soft tissue injuries and wear and tear on his body, a clean slate for Big G with his eyes on the prize seems like a rare advantage for New York.

He'll be especially essential at the start of the year given the team's need for right-handed bats after they overstocked on lefties. Plus, we want to see as much of Stanton as possible before his career in pinstripes comes to an end very soon.