Boone: Stanton's calf healing, could play if there were spring games

Giancarlo Stanton is making good use of baseball's coronavirus stoppage.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that the 2017 MVP is making encouraging progress rehabbing the calf injury he suffered earlier this spring, and the slugger participating in games - if spring training was still ongoing - wouldn't be out of the question.

"If we were to start spring training games up tomorrow he'd probably be ready to go," Boone told Meredith Marakovits of YES Network. "He's been doing really well, hitting now for a few weeks, but running pretty much at full speed outside, and changing directions, and doing all the things necessary to get into a game."

Stanton strained his right calf while working out at the Yankees' complex in late February. At the time, the injury put his status for the original March 26 Opening Day in doubt.

The calf problem is the latest injury to befall Stanton, who has long struggled to stay on the field. Last year, several ailments combined to limit the 30-year-old to just 18 regular-season contests.

Boone also updated Aaron Judge's status. The Yankees' other injured All-Star outfielder, who revealed Friday that his lung partially collapsed because of a stress fracture in his rib, isn't suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome due to that injury, and he's now resting.

"That's the one silver lining (of this delay) is a chance for guys to get healed up through this time," Boone said.

The manager also noted that the Yankees' two minor leaguers who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered, though all of the team's prospects remain in quarantine.