Trent Grisham is nearing a return to the Yankees’ lineup, and his first rehab appearance on Wednesday was a promising sign.
Starting in center field for Double-A Somerset in the Patriots’ 5-3 win over Hartford, Grisham went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Recovering from a right hamstring strain, he is expected to return to the Yankees on Friday, when they start a three-game home series against the Twins.
Grisham led off Wednesday’s game against the Yard Goats -- the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate -- by drawing a free pass and scoring on a two-run homer by Yankees No. 19 prospect Jace Avina. He lined out to right field in the second inning, but in the fourth, he slugged a double to the wall in left-center, coming up just short of a home run. Grisham popped out to shortstop in his final at-bat in the sixth inning and was replaced in center field after the seventh.
It was an encouraging rehab debut for Grisham, who injured his hamstring running the bases on June 12 in Toronto. Third baseman Ryan McMahon (peritonsillar abscess) was supposed to join Grisham on Wednesday in Somerset, but McMahon was scratched after becoming one of several Yankees players dealing with food poisoning. McMahon will appear for the Patriots on Thursday and is still aiming to return to the Yankees on Friday.
Grisham had been heating up prior to his injury, batting .306 with an .853 OPS in the 30 games before landing on the IL. For the season, he has a .232/.341/.406 slash line with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.