TAMPA, Fla. — It wasn’t necessarily a first-day-of-school vibe for the New York Yankees, mainly because almost the entire roster has been in Florida for several weeks preparing for the upcoming season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone estimated that 80 to 90 percent of the club had been training at the team’s facilities, well before the official report day for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday.

There also wasn’t that first-day-of-school vibe because the Yankees have brought back nearly the same group from last season. Just how different and better the Yankees can be after making that decision will play out over 162 games. But there’s no doubt they are confident it was the right decision.

“We’re running it back because at the halfway point (last season), we thought we built a team that was going to go to the World Series, and we still believe that wholeheartedly,” Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “So I don’t see a problem with running it back with four MVPs on your team.”

Those four MVPs Chisholm mentions are, of course, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.

Judge is coming off of back-to-back American League MVPs and should remain the best hitter on the planet. Stanton, despite being limited to 77 games, had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2025. Bellinger returns after signing a five-year, $162.5 million contract. Goldschmidt will assume a different role to begin this season than he held last spring training, now backing up Ben Rice at first base.

Spring Rollin’ 👊 pic.twitter.com/TkhPUjRs82

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 11, 2026

After pitchers, catchers and several position players completed their physicals Wednesday, no storyline from the opening day of camp carried more weight than the one that leads off our first takeaways report from Yankees spring training.

1. No new injuries to report

Across the sport, teams have already seen notable players go down with injuries. The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Tuesday that outfielder Anthony Santander will miss five to six months because of labral surgery. Three players have torn their hamate bones in their hands: New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holiday and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll. Each will likely be forced to miss Opening Day.

So when Boone sat at the podium for his first official news conference of spring training, there was almost an expectation that a previously unreported injury would be mentioned. But in this case, no news was good news.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Boone said.

The only injuries and recoveries the Yankees are dealing with are old news: Anthony Volpe is rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery; Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are working their way back from internal brace surgery and Tommy John surgery, respectively; and Carlos Rodón is recovering from elbow surgery to remove loose bodies and shave a bone spur.

Rodón is the closest to returning to the majors. Boone said Rodón is “probably not far behind from the start of the season.” The Yankees originally estimated Rodón would be back on a big-league mound before the end of April, and he’s still tracking on that timeline.

Volpe is the next closest out of that group to returning. Boone said the next stage of Volpe’s recovery is to start swinging a bat, which is expected to happen in one to two weeks. That’s the last box Volpe hasn’t checked off yet this offseason.

Cole has thrown a few bullpens this offseason and is expected to advance to live batting practice “in a couple of weeks,” according to the manager. Boone said it’s possible Cole could see game action near the end of spring. Schmidt won’t be an option for the Yankees in the first half of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July.

Out of everything that we could have learned on Day 1 of camp, the Yankees not having any additional injuries to report is the best news for the club. But, of course, there are still six weeks to go until Opening Day.

2. No limitations for Stanton

Last spring training, Giancarlo Stanton revealed that he had bilateral tennis elbow, which he played through during the 2024 season. But the pain from playing through injury was so severe that he was unable to start the 2025 season until mid-June. This year, Boone said Stanton is a full-go for spring training.

“He’s had a good winter,” Boone said of the Yankees’ designated hitter. “He’s ready to roll. I don’t expect any limitations. I usually slow-play him in games in the spring, so you might not see him that first week. But that being said, I haven’t had those conversations with him. He’s got no limitations right now. We’ll talk about how much outfield we mix in. The biggest thing is keeping it available so that when things do come up, we’re in a position to pop him out there if we have to. Those will be conversations that I have with him.”

Stanton was deadly in the middle of the order when he returned last season, posting a 158 wRC+ with 24 home runs in 77 games. Even with his elbow injury, no one in MLB swung the bat harder than Stanton last season. All of his metrics are still elite, even as he enters his age-36 season.

Especially with how left-handed the Yankees are this season, having Stanton in the middle of the order is important because of the right-handed balance he provides. It’s unrealistic to think the oft-injured slugger will make it through the season unscathed. But if Stanton can stay healthy, Boone expects he can be a difference-maker again.

“I’m not going to be surprised if he goes out and has a really magical year for us,” Boone said. “I think that’s still in there. The big thing with G is keeping him healthy. In a perfect world, we don’t have any interruption with an injury or anything.”

3. The plan at first base

Ben Rice emerged last season as one of the best hitters in the American League. His 133 wRC+ tied for ninth in the AL with Cleveland Guardians star José Ramirez. Rice finished with 530 plate appearances in 138 games, and the goal is to get him even more playing time this year.

The Yankees view Rice as a legitimate middle-of-the-order hitter who combines elite power with good swing decisions. There was concern that Rice’s role would be diminished after the Yankees re-signed Goldschmidt, but that is not happening. Goldschmidt is here to back up Rice, and the veteran knows he’s entering camp this year without a starting spot.

“I think Benny’s going to definitely be planning to get the bulk of the playing time over there,” Goldschmidt said. “And I’m definitely fine with whatever role they need me to (do).”

Goldschmidt could start at first base when the Yankees are facing a tough left-handed pitcher or be a late-game option off the bench as a pinch hitter for Austin Wells or Trent Grisham. Goldschmidt could also be insurance for the inevitable Stanton injury. That scenario could allow the Yankees to have a platoon at DH in which Goldschmidt plays against lefties and Jasson Domínguez plays against righties.

Boone noted that he’s talked with Rice about potentially catching more than he did last season. Rice started 26 games at catcher last season, and the Yankees are preparing for him to be an option behind the plate this year. While it remains to be seen if that’s how it plays out, it’s clear they do not want Rice on the bench much at all.