New York Yankees fans, it's time to brace for more bad news: Giancarlo Stanton's return to the lineup is going to take longer than hoped.

The 36-year-old designated hitter has been sidelined with a strained calf since April 24, when he got hurt running the bases against the Houston Astros. And while injuries have become an unfortunate part of Stanton's story in recent years, this latest update from manager Aaron Boone doesn't inspire much confidence.

"It's still lingering there. Not any worse," Boone told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "He's upped what he's been able to do. But I don't think it allows us to clear him to really start ramping up the running yet."

Translation: Stanton hasn't advanced in his running program, which means he's likely still weeks away from returning to game action. For a player who admits he never runs at full speed on purpose to protect his body, this setback is particularly frustrating.

Before the injury, Stanton was showing flashes of his old power, hitting .256/.302/.422 with three home runs and a .724 OPS across 24 games. His bat has been noticeably missing from a Yankees lineup that relies on his presence in the middle of the order.

For now, New York will have to keep finding ways to win without their slugger, while fans wait—and hope—for Stanton to finally get healthy enough to make a difference.