TORONTO -- The long list of star players on the Yankees’ injured list got a little shorter, as reliever Dellin Betances and lefty Jordan Montgomery were activated from the 60-day IL ahead of Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays.

In other roster news, righty reliever Ryan Dull was designated for assignment and right-hander Jonathan Holder was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Betances, a four-time All Star, has missed the entire season with injuries -- first a right shoulder impingement suffered back in March and then a right lat strain he sustained during his rehab.

As for Betances’ role -- whether he’ll immediately slot into the back of the bullpen or not -- manager Aaron Boone offered little more than “we’ll see.” There is a chance Betances pitches right away, but even that is uncertain.

“We’ll kind of manage him as far as trying to be smart about his workload,” Boone said. “But the biggest thing is trying to get him built up properly here in the final weeks of the season.”

One thing Betances needs to build up is his fastball velocity, which was markedly lower in recent rehab outings than he’s used to.

According to Statcast, Betances has had an average fastball velocity of 97-plus mph since 2014. In his most recent rehab outing, on Friday with Double-A Trenton, Betances threw his fastball in the 92-94 mph range.

“I’m hoping it’ll tick up,” Boone said of the velocity. “I don’t worry that much about it. I’m more worried about making sure he’s staying in his delivery, the crispness and the sharpness with his breaking balls -- and then I feel like, as he gets that continued regular work, we’ll start to see the fastball velocity tick up like it has most of his career.”

In a way, the final two weeks of the regular season will serve as a sort of Spring Training for Betances. The difference is, when the month is over, he’ll look to help New York go on a playoff run.

In the most trying times of his recovery, Betances watched his team excel -- finding motivation in the thought of a triumphant return.

“Definitely gave me a peace of mind, seeing how the team had been playing all year,” Betances said Sunday. “And knowing that I still have time to be involved in all these celebrations that are about to come.”

Montgomery slated for return from Tommy John
Montgomery stood at his locker on Saturday morning, surrounded by reporters. It was a scene he hadn’t experienced in quite some time.

“It’s been a while, yeah,” said Montgomery, who’s been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery all season. “There were only two people in Trenton.”

Montgomery returned to a Major League mound on Sunday, pitching for the first time since May 1, 2018. He’s excited to get back to work and be around the game.
Montgomery had a 3.62 ERA in 27 1/3 innings last season before the injury. Despite his lengthy absence from the big leagues, he trusts his ability to return to form quickly and contribute.

“I’ve been doing it for two years,” he said, “so I’m not worried about getting big leaguers out.”

Montgomery will follow opener Chad Green for the first time in his young career on Sunday, a move Boone said is intended to give Montgomery “a little softer landing” in his return to the Majors.

‘Impact players’ are coming
The return of Betances is just the beginning for the Yankees, who welcome back Luis Severino on Tuesday and, likely, Giancarlo Stanton at some point in the middle of the homestand.
With the postseason only weeks away, injecting more star power into the lineup is something Boone is excited about.

“We’re talking about a lot of impact players,” Boone said. “It’s some big names we’re talking about -- we know the kind of difference-makers they can be.”