Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton says elbow pain is something he just has to deal with

TAMPA, Fla. – Giancarlo Stanton didn’t exactly paint an optimistic picture in discussing what his manager, Aaron Boone, on Sunday characterized as the “tennis elbow” the designated hitter arrived with at spring training.

“We’ll see how that goes,” Stanton said by his locker Monday, the day of the club’s first full-squad workout, when asked if he would be available for Opening Day.

“I mean, tennis elbow, or whatever they call it, is tears in your tendon,” Stanton said. “It’s not, when did it feel good? When did it feel bad? There’s always a pain level there and you have to deal with that. It’s just the wisest point to give it time right now.”

Stanton said he dealt with the condition, which is in both elbows, most of last season – including in October when he was by far the Yankees’ best offensive performer as they reached the World Series. He said he has not swung a bat in the last “three-to-four weeks.”

And it is not clear when he will begin doing so this spring.

Boone on Sunday said the condition would likely require “maintenance” throughout the spring and regular season.

Stanton was the club’s offensive MVP as they qualified for their first World Series since 2009, hitting .273 with seven homers, 16 RBIs and a 1.048 OPS in 14 postseason games.

The 35-year-old Stanton said after the season ended, “the pain was very high in general” in the elbows, but there was never a consideration of not playing in the playoffs.

“The consideration of not going out there, absolutely not,” Stanton said. “This is just a time [spring training] to get as much time as I can…the idea is not to take down time [during the season]. This is the smartest time during a shorter offseason window to be able to do that.”