Yankees' Luis Severino ready to start rehab assignment Sunday

Luis Severino is ready to take the next significant step in his rehab from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in February 2020.

The 27-year-old righthander threw a three-inning simulated game Monday — his fastball "sitting" at 97 mph, Aaron Boone said — and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Sunday with either Double-A Somerset or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Both clubs are home, so it’s simply a matter of which affiliate the Yankees prefer for him to pitch for that day.

Whichever club he takes the mound for, Sunday will officially start Severino’s rehab clock that could see him return to the Yankees just before or just after the All-Star Break.

"He threw the ball really well, was sitting 97 [and] finished off in the third inning really cutting it loose and threw the ball incredibly well," Boone said. "I think he feels great from an elbow standpoint and his body's in great shape."

Day off for Gleyber, Giancarlo

Gleyber Torres, who going into Tuesday night played in 45 of the Yankees first 54 games, was given Tuesday night off.

"He played the doubleheader [Thursday vs. Toronto] and all through the weekend, I just felt like today was a good day to get him down," Boone said.

This was also the case with Giancarlo Stanton, 0-for-12 with eight strikeouts since returning from the IL Friday after missing 13 games with a left quad strain.

"Yeah, I do," Boone said, asked if he believed Stanton was completely healthy. "I think this is about just building him up smartly. A little bit driving that bus, too, is just making sure, with all that he's been through the last couple of years with some of the soft tissue stuff that he's dealt with, [it’s about] listening to his body, communicating and [being] forthright with us and making sure that we don't push through something or rush something or overload him here right back into the fire."

Boone said Stanton likely will get "one more" day off this week "then probably play on through the weekend."

Starting Monday, the Yankees have three off days in an eight-day stretch, more opportunity for Stanton, who did not go out on a rehab assignment before returning, to get caught up.

"Hopefully after [that]," Boone said, "we'll be off and running."

Voit latest

Boone said Luke Voit, diagnosed last Wednesday with a Grade 2 right oblique strain, is "surprised how good he feels today."

And while Aaron Judge missed 54 games with a similar injury in 2019 — Judge suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain — Boone said a return for Voit, who did treadmill work Tuesday, by July 1 is "very much in play."

"I'm not sure all they have planned for him today as far as volume and what he's able to do, but I know he's feeling pretty good," Boone said. "We're probably a few weeks out [from his return]."

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.