Stanton on rehab from wrist surgery: 'Definitely slower' than expected
Giancarlo Stanton admitted his rehab from wrist surgery is moving "definitely slower" than expected so far.
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
Five weeks ago, the Marlins lost slugger and franchise cornerstone Giancarlo Stanton to a broken hamate bone in his left wrist. He suffered the injury taking a swing. Stanton needed surgery and the timetable for his return was announced as 4-6 weeks.
Unfortunately, Stanton's rehab is moving slower than expected, reports MLB.com's Steve Wilaj. "Definitely slower," said Stanton, who is hitting off a tee and swinging "as strong as it allows." Here's some more from Wilaj:
"I have to swing off the tee with no pain first, then we'll go from there," Stanton said. "I don't know when that will be. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to every day."
Since losing Stanton to injury, the Marlins are 12-16.
"Once it really kicks in and he gets to that comfort level where he is good with turning it loose, then it's gonna be a pretty fast thing," manager Dan Jennings said. "But he has to get to that level first. He's still building strength in his wrist and he's not quite there yet."
Broken hamate bones are fairly common, and, from what I understand, the surgery just removes the bone entirely. The procedure does have a tendency to sap power for a few months after surgery though, even after the player is given the green light to resume playing.
Stanton certainly has a special kind of power, but wrist injuries are problematic. You can't hit properly if you don't have your usual strength in your hands and wrists. The Marlins are out of the race, so there's no need to rush Stanton back. They can afford to let him take his time and get back to 100 percent. The focus should be on his health and next season.
At the time of the injury, Stanton was leading MLB with 27 home runs and 67 RBI. Five weeks later, he still ranks seventh in MLB in homers.
