Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton could resume baseball activities this week, manager Aaron Boone said ahead of Sunday’s afternoon game with the Kansas City Royals.
Stanton had been placed on the 10-day injured list by the Yankees last Tuesday retroactive to July 24 with left Achilles tendonitis. He had been kept out of the previous two games before the decision was made.
The return to baseball activities would be a positive step for Stanton, who has been batting .228 this season in 289 at-bats.
“I would say the next couple of days,” Boone said about Stanton returning to baseball activities.”Whether it’s throwing, probably doing some team work and upper body. Hitting and stuff like that. Just talking to him briefly yesterday I think he’s definitely encouraged by the last few days. The last few days he’s noticed an improvement and I think it’s moved the needle how he wants to, so hopefully that starts to pick up speed this week.”
Originally the Yankees had just thought Stanton had been tired from the grind of the first half of the season, but last Monday he had requested an MRI, which is when they found the issue. Boone told reporters at Citi Field last week that he expected it to be a 2-3 week recovery, but that it could be shorter as well.
Zach Britton to face live hitters, Severino to throw
Stanton isn’t the only one working their way back, Zach Britton is slowly on the mend after undergoing Tommy John Surgery last September and is taking another step towards getting back on the mound. Britton will face live hitters for the first time on Monday, Boone said.
While it’s another positive step in his return, Boone was trying to keep things in perspective.
“I don’t want to put an expectation on it,” Boone said. “He’s doing well and he’s about to get to the live hitter portion of the rehab, of the return. We continue to be encouraged, but what it all means we’ll wait and see.”
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The Yankees skipper also confirmed that Luis Severino will throw on Monday. Severino has been on the 15-day IL since July 14 when he suffered a low-grade right lat strain.
The righty told YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits that he had stopped feeling pain after the fourth or fifth day of being shut down. He also said that he would throw on flat ground from 60 feet on Monday.
