Giancarlo Stanton's return to the New York Yankees' roster is still uncertain.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters Saturday that the experienced Slugger has no plans to start a minor league rehabilitation mission. Stanton faced field batting practice for about 10 days for the first time since Stanton was shut down due to two elbow tendonitis during spring training.

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Since Stanton is not taking the typical spring training preparation for the 2025 season, a minor league rehabilitation mission may be required. But Boone said he doesn't need to have a long recovery among minors (the player's top position is 20 days) because he doesn't play the defensive position.

Stanton was transferred to the 60-day injury roster on May 1 to open a spot in the Yankees 40-man roster. This makes him eligible to be activated on May 24. However, the team expects a return in mid-June may be more likely after Stanton has undergone an upgrade process that is expected to take about two months.

During spring training, Stanton left Yankee Camp in Tampa for medical examination by a New York team doctor. He also received two rounds of platelet-rich plasma in both elbows to try to speed up the healing process.

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The surgery is considered the final surgery because it will keep Stanton for three months. However, if the Yankees knew about Stanton's condition earlier in the offseason, the team might encourage such an option. Instead, the team didn't know Stanton informed them shortly before spring training, saying he hadn't swung for three to four weeks.

In the absence of Stanton, the Yankees earned a collective .284 average (fourth in MLB) and .987 OPS (second in the league), with 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 30 RBIs coming from designated named slots. Ben Rice scored most of the AT Bats on DH, batting .250/.348/.529, with 10 doubles, 9 home runs and 20 RBIs.

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Rice put the ground ball on third base ahead of Sunday night's game, which raises questions about whether he can move to another position, perhaps because of Stanton's return. But Boone dismissed these ideas, saying that rice is "just for fun." The Yankees can use help on third base, where their collective is an average of .203 and an OPS position near the bottom of the MLB.

Last season, Stanton hit .233 with 0.773 OPS, 27 home runs, 20 doubles and 72 hits in 114 games. He also had influence in the playoffs, hitting seven home runs with a 1.048 move. Stanton had four home runs against the Cleveland Guardian and was appointed ALCS MVP.