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Prado remains out, but hamstring pain-free

NEW YORK -- Martin Prado could be available as a pinch-hitter for the Yankees on Friday night against the Royals after completing a full pregame routine without experiencing any pain in his strained left hamstring.

Prado ran on the field, played catch and took batting practice without issue, so he could return to the starting lineup on Saturday.

The hamstring strain is considered mild, but it could become significant if he comes back too early. That's the main reason the Yankees and Prado have proceeded with caution since he sustained the injury on Tuesday night, preferring that he miss a few games to completely heal. Friday was his third consecutive day out of the starting lineup.

"What we've seen from Martin is he's not a guy that really knows how to back off," manager Joe Girardi said. "So we gotta make sure that we feel pretty good that once he goes out, he stays out there. It's tough not having him in the lineup."

Jamal Collier is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
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