Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been cleared to swing off a tee one month after hamate bone surgery.
Stanton was initially given a 4-6 week recovery timetable, but manager Dan Jennings declined to give a firm answer to Christina De Nicola of FOX Sports Florida when asked if Stanton was close to coming off the disabled list.
Oh, and despite missing a month of action (and counting) Stanton is still tied for the National League lead with 27 home runs.
Miami is 42-58 and Stanton is a 25-year-old superstar signed to a $325 million contract, so there isn’t much motivation for the Marlins to rush him back. At this point mid-August seems like a best-case scenario.