DETROIT -- Yankees right-hander Luis Severino will start for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Friday -- his first appearance with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since being optioned earlier this week.
Severino, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list Monday, last pitched for the Yankees on May 13, lasting just 2 2/3 innings before exiting with a strained right triceps.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi wasn't willing to say whether Severino will be ready to rejoin the Yankees if he pitches well Friday.
"We'll pay attention, because we want him to make improvements and continue to develop," Girardi said. "We want him to pitch well, get going -- and then you make decisions."
Girardi miffed by Gardy's slump
Brett Gardner certainly isn't the only Yankees player to be scuffling this month. But his struggles have completely caught manager Joe Girardi by surprise.
Gardner entered Thursday hitless in his last 24 at-bats, and his struggles have left Girardi scratching his head.
"This is a guy who had a really good April," Girardi said Thursday. "He had his share of walks in May, but you look at his average in May, and it's been really down.
"He's not a guy you would expect to struggle, because he has speed, and he does use the whole field, usually," Girardi said. "You expect him to stay pretty even. But he's one of the five or six guys who struggled mightily in May."
When asked if an undisclosed injury might be contributing to Gardner's month-long slump, Girardi dismissed health concerns as a contributing factor.
"I mean, there's really no treatment going on," Girardi said. "I check with the trainers every day. We're just trying to figure it out."