Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, whose 2014 season ended on September 11 when he suffered facial fractures from a hit by pitch, will wear a protective guard on his helmet this year.
Stanton signed a $325 million contract extension in November and has been cleared for all physical activity, but the 25-year-old outfielder told Peter Gammons of MLB Network that he’s yet to regain full feeling in his lip and is planning to wear the added protection all season assuming it doesn’t hinder his vision at the plate during spring training.
Despite missing much of the season’s final month Stanton led the National League with 37 homers in 2014 and finished runner-up in the MVP voting to Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.