After losing one center fielder, the Yankees hope another is in the wings.
Aaron Judge will miss at least another five games after the superstar’s hip forced him to the 10-day injured list Monday, but Aaron Boone said it’s “possible” Harrison Bader will be back by Tuesday.
“He’s doing really well,” the Yankees manager said of Bader before the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the Guardians on Monday. “We’ll make that decision here probably over the next 24 hours.”
After the loss, Boone said the club soon would decide whether to activate Bader for Tuesday’s game.
The manager and Bader had a short chat in the clubhouse and shook hands.
Bader has been out since March 8, when he strained his oblique on a spring training swing that knocked him out of the club’s April plans.
Bader began a rehab assignment April 21 and has been slowly building up.
From Friday through Sunday, he played games on three straight days with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, manning center field for seven innings and then nine innings before DHing Sunday.
“He looks good. He feels good. He’s moving well,” Boone said of Bader, who took batting practice before the game. “It’s just a matter of: Do we want him to have a couple more [rehab games] like that, or do we bring him down and continue his build-up here? That’s what we’re weighing right now.”
In seven minor league games, Bader has gone 3-for-25 with a double and two walks, which does not concern Boone.
“The reports are: He’s looking really good. I know he hasn’t gotten a ton of hits, but I know he’s been hitting the ball hard,” Boone said. “He looks good. He looks ready to most of us.”
Lou Trivino (right elbow strain) was set to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for a second opinion.
The righty, whose strain was to his UCL, had been building up in Tampa before he did not bounce back well from a live batting practice session.
Boone said it’s “possible” Luis Severino (right lat strain) returns within two to three weeks.
The righty will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Single-A Tampa, with whom he is scheduled to throw 45-50 pitches.
If all goes well, he would begin stretching out with Double-A Somerset or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“Always excited about getting Sevy back,” Boone said of Severino, who would likely need three or four rehab starts. “Important couple weeks here for him.”
Josh Donaldson (right hamstring strain) fielded ground balls and hit Monday, though he has not yet begun ramping up his mobility.
Donaldson began and ended a rehab stint with Somerset on April 18, his hamstring proving not fully healed.
“No plans about when, but he’s definitely moving in a good direction,” Boone said.
DJ LeMahieu (2-for-4) hit an RBI single in the third inning, which was his 1,600th career hit.
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