Injuries & Moves: Domínguez gets closer to rehab games

April 26th, 2024

LATEST NEWS

April 26: RHP Michael Tonkin added to active roster
Tonkin, 34, has gone 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in six relief appearances (nine innings) with the Twins and Mets this season. He made the Mets’ 2024 Opening Day roster before being acquired by the Twins on April 9 in exchange for cash considerations. Tonkin was reacquired by the Mets on April 17 before being designated for assignment on Monday. Prior to Friday's opener against the Brewers in Milwaukee, he was added to the active roster.

Over parts of seven Major League seasons with the Twins, Braves and Mets, Tonkin owns a 4.44 ERA in 192 career relief appearances.

April 25: RHP optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Morris was recalled on April 19 for the Rays series, but never appeared in a game for New York. Morris was acquired from the Guardians in exchange for outfielder Estevan Florial last December.

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

INF (non-displaced fracture of right foot)
Expected return: Possibly May
After exiting a game with Double-A Somerset on April 23, LeMahieu returned to Yankee Stadium the next day and still felt soreness in his foot. He is not doing anything but having treatment for seven days, a team spokesman said on April 24. LeMahieu will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

LeMahieu started feeling pain during batting practice and then tried to play through the pain, but he took himself out of the game in the first inning. Manager Aaron Boone was surprised to hear the news because LeMahieu was eager to get back into game action.

LeMahieu has yet to play in a big league game this season after sustaining a non-displaced fracture of his right foot on a March 16 foul ball. (Last updated: April 26)

3B (left adductor injury)
Expected return: Late April/early May
Berti remains on track to begin a Minor League rehab assignment on April 28, manager Aaron Boone said on April 26. There is an outside chance that Berti could join the team during their April 29-May 2 road series against the Orioles, but he would more likely be ready for a homestand that begins on May 3.

Berti was placed on the injured list on April 13 after he sustained an adductor injury running to first base against the Marlins on April 10. (Last updated: April 26)

RHP Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly May
Kahnle is expected to toss a live batting practice on April 27 in Tampa, Fla., according to manager Aaron Boone, which will represent his first time doing so since Spring Training.

Boone said that he has exchanged text messages with Kahnle, who is said to be “pretty excited about where he’s at now physically. He feels like it’s getting to where it needs to be.”

Kahnle was slow-played during the spring after right shoulder inflammation ended his 2023 season and delayed his winter throwing program until Dec. 12. Though Kahnle was aiming to rejoin the Yankees when eligible on April 9, he experienced soreness after a throwing session on or around April 1, prompting the club to delay him further. (Last updated: April 26)

RHP (right hip inflammation)
Expected return: May
Burdi had an injection on the hip on April 22 but has continued to throw from his knees. According to manager Aaron Boone, Burdi should be playing catch and throwing off a mound the following weekend. Burdi felt the discomfort near the end of his April 16 appearance at Toronto, but Boone characterized the issue as “fairly minor.” Boone said that because of Burdi's lengthy injury history, club medical personnel were wary of the hurler compensating in his delivery, leading to an arm issue. (Last updated: April 24)

INF (right sub-scapular strain)
Expected return: Possibly May
Peraza is “deep into his throwing program” and has been hitting at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., manager Aaron Boone said on April 21, but he is still a couple of weeks away from playing in Minor League games. Peraza began throwing regularly during the first week of April following his injury issues, which began as tightness in his shoulder on Feb. 25. Peraza briefly returned to Spring Training action in early March, but the issue persisted when he threw across the diamond. (Last updated: April 21)

60-DAY IL

OF (right UCL tear)
Expected return: June or July
Domínguez has increased his throwing to 135 feet at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., manager Aaron Boone said on April 26, and is “probably a few weeks away” from playing in Minor League rehab games.

“I just know he’s doing well and getting close to being ready to do some things,” Boone said.

Domínguez was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Sept. 10, 2023. He underwent Tommy John surgery 10 days later, which included the addition of internal bracing. Dr. Keith Meister performed the procedure in Arlington. He resumed hitting right-handed on Feb. 26, then began taking swings from both sides of the plate in mid-March. (Last updated: April 26)

RHP (right elbow discomfort)
Expected return: Possibly June 1
Cole increased his throwing to 120 feet on April 23 at Yankee Stadium and said that he felt “good.” It has been a slow but steady progression for Cole, who resumed a throwing program on April 8 by making 25 throws at 60 feet, then followed that with several more successful flat-ground sessions. Cole could resume throwing from the slope of a mound by early May.

“As long as we execute it and we’re good to go the next day, then we just take it one day at a time,” Cole said on April 23. “It’s moving along.”

Cole underwent an MRI on March 11 after relaying difficulty bouncing back between his spring outings, likening his level of fatigue to what he usually would feel after throwing 100 pitches during the regular season. Cole had more testing performed on March 12, then visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on March 14. ElAttrache confirmed that there was no damage to Cole’s ulnar collateral ligament.

During that visit, Cole was told that he could treat his ailing right elbow conservatively through rest and rehab, with the hope of returning to the rotation in 10-12 weeks.

“It’s kind of a similar ramp-up to what the offseason would be like,” Cole said. (Last updated: April 23)

RHP (recovery from Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Summer 2024
Trivino is about two weeks away from beginning live batting practice sessions, manager Aaron Boone said on April 21. Boone remarked that Trivino has been “doing really well,” noting that his bullpen sessions during Spring Training were encouraging. Trivino is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed on May 3, 2023. (Last updated: April 21)

RHP (Tommy John surgery, back surgery)
Expected return: Summer 2024
Effross underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2022 and began a throwing program on March 6, 2023. According to manager Aaron Boone, Effross began experiencing back discomfort in the fall, which prompted a microdiscectomy of his L-4 and L-5 vertebrae in December. Boone said on April 21 that Effross has been “doing pretty well,” though his recovery has been marked by a few minor hiccups. (Last updated: April 21)

RHP (right UCL tear)
Expected return: 2025
Loáisiga said on April 6 that he has a torn UCL and needs season-ending surgery. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure, which Loáisiga said has an estimated recovery time of 10 to 12 months. Loáisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list on April 5, retroactive to April 4. (Last updated: April 6)