Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton collects two hits in return

New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-4 with a double in his season debut Monday night after missing the team's first 70 games due to elbow inflammation.

The Yankees reinstated Stanton from the 60-day injured list ahead of their home game against the Los Angeles Angels. He batted fifth and served as the designated hitter in New York's 1-0, 11-inning loss.

To clear a spot on the roster, the Yankees designated infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes for assignment.

Stanton, 35, had been on the injured list all season while dealing with tendinitis in both elbows, a condition he played through during the second half of last season.

Stanton went on the 10-day IL in late March and was transferred to the 60-day IL in May due to right and left elbow epicondylitis, an issue last season that resurfaced before spring training.

Stanton played in three rehab games with Double-A Somerset last week, going 3-for-11 with a double and four RBIs.

Playing exclusively at designated hitter last season, Stanton batted .233 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 114 games. In seven seasons with the Yankees, he has belted 162 homers and driven in 431 runs while hitting .241.

Calf, hamstring, Achilles and elbow issues have been a roadblock to Stanton's availability. He has averaged just 94.7 games per season since joining the Yankees, playing more than 114 games just twice -- most recently in 2021 when he appeared in 139 games.

Reyes, 31, got into 24 games in his first season with the Yankees. He batted .194 with one double and two RBIs. He is a career .245 hitter with eight home runs in parts of seven major league seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2018-19), Milwaukee Brewers (2021-22), Boston Red Sox (2023-24), New York Mets (2024) and Yankees.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone also revealed before the game that right-handed reliever Jake Cousins, who has spent all season on the IL, will undergo Tommy John surgery Wednesday.

Cousins, 30, had a career-low 2.37 ERA over 37 relief appearances last year in his first season with the Yankees. He has gone 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 90 2/3 career innings with the Brewers (2021-23) and Yankees.

--Field Level Media