Injuries & Moves: LeMahieu 'feeling great'; Cole progressing
LATEST NEWS
May 1: OF Alex Verdugo (paternity leave) expected to return
Verdugo, who was placed on paternity leave on Monday, is expected to fly back to Baltimore late on Wednesday and could be in Thursday’s lineup. Verdugo was replaced on the active roster by catcher Carlos Narvaez, who would be making his Major League debut when he enters a game.
April 30: INF Keiner Delgado traded to the Pirates
Delgado, 20, is the player to be named in the March 29 trade for right-hander JT Brubaker. Delgado played 49 games last season with the Rookie-level Yankees in the Florida Complex League, slashing .293/.414/.485 with eight homers and 31 RBIs. He was ranked the Yankees’ No. 20 prospect by MLB Pipeline at the time of the deal.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
INF DJ LeMahieu (non-displaced fracture of right foot)
Expected return: Possibly May
LeMahieu reported to Yankee Stadium on May 1 and told the club’s training staff that he was “feeling great,” according to manager Aaron Boone. LeMahieu appears to be close to resuming baseball activities after his attempted Minor League rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset stalled after one inning on April 23.
“Hopefully it’s a handful of days and then we start talking about a [new] rehab assignment,” Boone said on May 1.
LeMahieu has yet to play in a big league game this season after sustaining a non-displaced fracture of his right foot on a March 16 foul ball. Boone said on May 1 that no re-imaging will be necessary for LeMahieu because “it’s a tolerance thing at this point.” (Last updated: May 1)
3B Jon Berti (left adductor injury)
Expected return: Early May
Berti began a Minor League rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on April 28, going hitless in his first five at-bats with two walks. Berti was scheduled to play on May 1 but experienced back tightness, according to manager Aaron Boone, who said that the club is hopeful that Berti may be able to play on May 2.
Berti was placed on the injured list on April 13 after he sustained an adductor injury running to first base against the Marlins on April 10. (Last updated: May 1)
RHP Nick Burdi (right hip inflammation)
Expected return: May
Burdi threw from a bullpen mound on April 30 in Somerset, N.J., and the session was said to have gone well, according to manager Aaron Boone. Burdi spoke with Boone, who relayed that the hurler is “champing at the bit” to return to game action.
“I’m sure we’ll probably have him pitch in a [Minor League rehab] game just to make sure he does that and recovers from it,” Boone said. “Hopefully that’s soon.”
Burdi received an injection on April 22 after feeling discomfort near the end of an April 16 appearance at Toronto. Boone said that because of Burdi's lengthy injury history, club medical personnel were wary of the hurler compensating in his delivery, which could lead to an arm issue. (Last updated: May 1)
RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly May
Kahnle tossed 15 pitches over one simulated inning in live batting practice on April 27 in Tampa, Fla., according to manager Aaron Boone, which represented his first time doing so since Spring Training. Kahnle is scheduled to get back on the mound for live BP on May 1.
Boone said that he has exchanged text messages with Kahnle, who is said to be “pretty excited about where he’s at now physically. He feels like it’s getting to where it needs to be.”
Kahnle was slow-played during the spring after right shoulder inflammation ended his 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program until Dec. 12. Though Kahnle was aiming to rejoin the Yankees when eligible on April 9, he experienced soreness after a throwing session on or around April 1, prompting the club to delay him further. (Last updated: April 30)
INF Oswald Peraza (right sub-scapular strain)
Expected return: Possibly May
Peraza is “deep into his throwing program” and has been hitting at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., manager Aaron Boone said on April 21, but he is still a couple of weeks away from playing in Minor League games. Peraza began throwing regularly during the first week of April following his injury issues, which began as tightness in his shoulder on Feb. 25. Peraza briefly returned to Spring Training action in early March, but the issue persisted when he threw across the diamond. (Last updated: April 21)
60-DAY IL
RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow discomfort)
Expected return: Possibly June
Cole increased his throwing to 120 feet on April 23 at Yankee Stadium and said that he felt “good.” He threw again on April 27 and April 30, according to manager Aaron Boone, who said that “everything went well.” Boone said that Cole might be able to resume tossing from a mound sometime during the week beginning May 5.
Though published reports have suggested an early June target date, Boone was asked on May 1 if the All-Star break might be a realistic projection for Cole, considering that the hurler still needs to build stamina and then get into Minor League games.
“I wouldn’t even want to guess on that,” Boone said. “He and the trainers, everyone is kind of working through that. So we’ll see.”
It has been a slow but steady progression for Cole, who resumed a throwing program on April 8 by making 25 throws at 60 feet, then followed that with several more successful flat-ground sessions.
“As long as we execute it and we’re good to go the next day, then we just take it one day at a time,” Cole said on April 23. “It’s moving along.”
Cole underwent an MRI on March 11 after relaying difficulty bouncing back between his spring outings, likening his level of fatigue to what he usually would feel after throwing 100 pitches during the regular season. Cole had more testing performed on March 12, then visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on March 14. ElAttrache confirmed that there was no damage to Cole’s ulnar collateral ligament.
During that visit, Cole was told that he could treat his ailing right elbow conservatively through rest and rehab, with the hope of returning to the rotation in 10-12 weeks.
“It’s kind of a similar ramp-up to what the offseason would be like,” Cole said. (Last updated: May 1)
OF Jasson Domínguez (right UCL tear)
Expected return: June or July
Domínguez has increased his throwing to 135 feet at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., manager Aaron Boone said on April 26, and is “probably a few weeks away” from playing in Minor League rehab games.
“I just know he’s doing well and getting close to being ready to do some things,” Boone said.
Domínguez was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Sept. 10, 2023. He underwent Tommy John surgery 10 days later, which included the addition of internal bracing. Dr. Keith Meister performed the procedure in Arlington. He resumed hitting right-handed on Feb. 26, then began taking swings from both sides of the plate in mid-March. (Last updated: April 26)
RHP Lou Trivino (recovery from Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Summer 2024
Trivino is about two weeks away from beginning live batting practice sessions, manager Aaron Boone said on April 21. Boone remarked that Trivino has been “doing really well,” noting that his bullpen sessions during Spring Training were encouraging. Trivino is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed on May 3, 2023. (Last updated: April 21)
RHP Scott Effross (Tommy John surgery, back surgery)
Expected return: Summer 2024
Effross underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2022 and began a throwing program on March 6, 2023. According to manager Aaron Boone, Effross began experiencing back discomfort in the fall, which prompted a microdiscectomy of his L-4 and L-5 vertebrae in December. Boone said on April 21 that Effross has been “doing pretty well,” though his recovery has been marked by a few minor hiccups. (Last updated: April 21)
RHP Jonathan Loáisiga (right UCL tear)
Expected return: 2025
Loáisiga said on April 6 that he has a torn UCL and needs season-ending surgery. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure, which Loáisiga said has an estimated recovery time of 10 to 12 months. Loáisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 5, retroactive to April 4. (Last updated: April 6)