Miller to pitch in rehab game, be re-evaluated

NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced Sunday that lefty Andrew Miller, who made franchise history when he became the first Yankee to convert his first 17 save opportunities with the team, is headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday for a rehab outing.

Miller is expected to throw one inning, at which point the Yankees will re-evaluate him and see if he's feeling healthy enough to return to the big leagues. He went on the disabled list on June 11, retroactive to June 10, with a left flexor forearm muscle strain. Girardi also noted that outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will be the designated hitter on Sunday with the Class A Advanced Tampa Yankees.

"[We'll] just see how he feels," Girardi said of Miller. "The thing is, we don't have to build him up. We have him throwing up to 25 pitches tomorrow and he will come in out of relief. He will not start the game. ... If he feels good, we've got to make a decision."

In Miller's absence, right-hander Dellin Betances has handled closing duties, and with Adam Warren now joining the bullpen, Miller's return could give the Yankees a dominant arsenal late in games.

Miller said Saturday that he fully expected to have at least one rehab outing, but he wasn't sure if one would be enough. Monday should give him some clarity.

"It probably depends on how it goes. If I'm crisp in it, I would say certainly. I think if I'm not crisp in it, there might be a hesitation with just one outing," he said. "I really don't know. That's probably the question nobody has an answer to."