Josh Donaldson a possibility to return during Yankees' trip to West Coast
Josh Donaldson #28 of the Yankees hits in the batting cage before a game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Josh Donaldson could rejoin the Yankees at some point during next week’s trip that takes the club first to Seattle and then to Los Angeles for an interleague series against the Dodgers.
Giancarlo Stanton could return within a week or two of Donaldson.
Aaron Boone said before Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles that Donaldson, out since April 6 with a right hamstring strain, likely would be headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday to start a rehab assignment. Once that begins, it isn’t anticipated the 37-year-old will need a lot of minor-league games under his belt before the Yankees clear him.
“Possibly in Seattle, probably more likely later in the week,” Boone said.
The Yankees, after this weekend’s home series against the Padres, play three games against the Mariners in Seattle then, after an off day Thursday, play a weekend series (June 2-4) at Dodger Stadium.
“We’ll kind of evaluate Sunday, assuming everything’s going well,” Boone said of Donaldson. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”
Donaldson has had a couple of setbacks during his rehab. The first came April 18 when he aggravated the hamstring during a rehab outing with Double-A Somerset. The hamstring at last behind him, Donaldson suffered a thumb injury while at home early last week.
As for Stanton, out since April 16 with a left hamstring strain, Boone said the DH/outfielder, who has been running and hitting with no issues, will have additional testing Thursday.
“We’ll see where the progress [is], if it matches up with how he’s [feeling],” Boone said, adding later Stanton could “possibly” start a rehab assignment this weekend.
That would put Stanton, hitting .269 with four homers and an .854 OPS at the time of his injury, in play for a return potentially during the team’s next homestand, which is June 6-11.
Kahnle nears return
Righthander Tommy Kahnle, on the IL since the start of the season with right biceps tendinitis, is likely to get two more rehab outings before being activated, meaning during the upcoming trip west.
Volpe: Rookie impact
Rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe, 22, who hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in Tuesday night’s win over Baltimore, became the fourth-youngest Yankee to record a walk-off RBI in the expansion era (dating to 1961).
Gleyber Torres (21 years, 144 days old) is the youngest to do it, with a three-run homer May 16, 2018, to beat Cleveland.
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.
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