Clay Holmes has shoulder strain
Yankees relief pitcher Clay Holmes leaves the game in the top of the eighth inning against the Pirates at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Clay Holmes, who has pitched only one inning in more than a week, is dealing with a shoulder strain and might not see game action until the Division Series, Aaron Boone said Friday.
Holmes received a cortisone injection and won’t throw for at least a few days.
“It’s a concern, but I feel like we’re trending in a good direction,” Boone said. “I think the biggest thing for us is, is he going to be ready for the first two games of the Division Series, and that’s kind of the timeline it seems like we’re on right now.”
Holmes said he started to feel discomfort — what he identified as some inflammation of his rotator cuff — during his last outing in Toronto on Sept. 26. “It’s nothing that’s too worrisome,” he said. “We just want to play it smart and make sure it’s right before the postseason comes up.”
LeMahieu returns to lineup
The Yankees reinstated DJ LeMahieu off the injured list in a dress rehearsal for the playoffs — a chance to see how his inflamed right big toe will respond to the rigors of playing.
LeMahieu, who landed on the IL earlier this month, has been dealing with the issue since at least early August. He went 0-for-3 Friday. Outfielder Tim Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Somerset triage
With the minor-league season over, the Yankees are setting up a sort of training camp at their Double-A Somerset facility, Boone said. The Yankees have a number of players on the cusp of returning from injury, and getting action against live hitters or pitchers likely will be more useful than activating players and have them begging for scraps in the last five games of the season.
Injury updates
Matt Carpenter (broken foot) took batting practice at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Wandy Peralta (thoracic spine tightness) threw a bullpen session and will throw another Sunday. Both are options to be activated for the final series in Texas or to be sent to Somerset before the ALDS.
Frankie Montas (shoulder) will begin throwing Saturday. Miguel Castro (shoulder) is available to be activated off the 60-day injured list. Andrew Benintendi (broken wrist) is set to start taking dry swings Saturday.
King on schedule
Michael King (broken elbow) said he should be cleared to throw three to four months after his late July surgery, putting him in line for a regular spring training. King survived a Tommy John scare — “It definitely was a big weight off my shoulders,” he said — and should start throwing in November if he gets a clean X-ray, he said (he generally starts throwing in December).
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
