3 DH Options for Yankees if Stanton Is Out Long-Term

According to insider Jon Heyman, there's no timetable at all for the return of DH Giancarlo Stanton. Following his playoff heroics of last fall, Stanton came into camp and immediately developed elbow problems. The oft-injured slugger has given no clues whatsoever to his status, and he is in fact away from the team for personal reasons.

Fans have considered the worst-case scenarios, everything from surgery to retirement. But no one is saying.

With that, we need to consider alternatives for the Yankees, and this list of potential DH options:

1. JD Martinez

Now 37 and still a free agent, Martinez has been alternating between very strong offensive years, and mediocre ones over the last four seasons. In 2024 with the NY Mets, it was the latter, with just 16 home runs and a .725 OPS. But the year before with the LA Dodgers, Martinez blasted 33 out of the yard, with 103 RBIs in just 113 games, with an .893 OPS. He'd be a nice replacement for Stanton if the Yankees are interested.

2. Adam Duvall

The 36-year-old slugger still doesn't have a team for 2025, and that could be due to the poor performance he showed with the Atlanta Braves last season, popping just 11 homers with a .182 average and a .569 OPS. But just one year earlier, he still showed the power, launching 21 longballs for the Boston Red Sox in just 92 games, with an .834 OPS.

3. Ben Rice

An internal solution, the 26-year-old Yankees prospect came up last season and lit the Bronx on fire out of the gate with a strong start, which included a 3-HR game in just his 17th major league appearance. He would fall off dramatically from there, however, and finished his first season with a .171 batting mark in 50 games, with a .617 OPS. He tore it up at Triple-A however, with a 1.088 OPS and 12 homers in just 30 games. Could he be given another shot?