New York Yankees’ reliever Zack Britton spent most of the season on the injured list after having bone spurs removed from his pitching elbow. He made his return and pitched a few games, but recently, he suffered another injury, a left hamstring strain.
The Yankees’ southpaw, however, is feeling ready to return after throwing live batting practice prior to Thursday’s game in Seattle.
With closer Aroldis Chapman struggling to throw strikes and on the verge of losing his role, the Yankees could really use Britton in the back of the bullpen. He looked ready by striking out all three hitters he faced yesterday.
“I’m ready if they want to put me in a game right now, but there are pros and cons,” Britton said to NJ Advance Media on the field after the 15-pitch outing. He deemed himself ready to return, but the Yankees don’t necessarily agree.
The Yankees are ‘in no hurry’
“We’re in no hurry,” Yankees bullpen coach Mike Harkey said of Britton, who has just five games under his belt this season. “I’m in no rush and I don’t think we are as an organization. When Zack gets back, we want him here for the rest of the time. He’ll probably do (a live BP) again in Houston. We’ll see how he feels, he’ll have the All-Star break and he’ll be ready to go when we get back.”
While the Yankees certainly could use him against Houston’s tough lineup, Britton says he is fine waiting until after the All-Star break to return.
“I think I’m in a good spot,” he said. “It’s just a matter of what makes sense. I know we’re trying to protect the elbow too. That’s still something to be aware of. Either way, I think I’m fine with whatever happens. It’s just what they want to do. I need to be smart.”
Should the Yankees bring back Britton for the Houston series or is it better to wait after the break?
The Yankees jumped out to an early lead of 5-1, but a three-run homerun cut the lead down to one with a few innings to go. At the beginning of the year, fans had little to nothing to worry about with the bullpen in a game like that. However, lately it seems that no lead is safe with the Yankees.
Despite all of the injuries and issues with the Yankees bullpen this year, Green and Loaisiga have been two gems. Both pitching to an ERA under 2.25 with WHIPs under one. If you can depend on anyone in the pen, it seems to be Loaisiga and Green.
If we look to the future, the Yankees have some decisions to make with the bullpen. Zack Britton has a team option at the end of this year which the team is likely to decline. They might even look to move him at the deadline if he can come back healthy.
Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green both have one more year under contract after this season. We all know the Yankees likely won’t bring back Chapman and Green could command a big premium. With that in mind, is Jonathan Loaisiga is the closer of the future?
The Next Great Yankees Closer?
When Loaisiga came up through the minors, he did so as a starting pitcher. The Yankees had envisioned Loaisiga as a guy who would come up and help with the rotation. However, he’s proving this year that he’s so much better out of the pen.
Loaisiga possesses nasty stuff with the ability to throw 100+ with movement and he has nice off-speed pitches to pair. Most great closers don’t come up through the system as relievers, but they do as starters. Even the great Mariano Rivera started out as a starter.
Loaisiga has developed multiple pitch options which makes him very dangerous on the mound as a reliever. The 26 year old has blossomed this year and I think he’s going to be a key piece of the bullpen moving forward. Loaisiga looks like he can turn into one of the best closers in the game with time.
Am I getting ahead of myself here a little? Of course I am, but what Yankee fan doesn’t think about the future of the ballclub. Loaisiga is under team control through the 2024 season. He’s got nasty stuff and he’s proving to be one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen.
While the closer role between the rest of this season and next likely belongs to either Green or Chapman, don’t be surprised to see Loaisiga get the role after 2022. With his stuff, he just might turn into the Yankees next great closer.
Sound Off: Do you think the Yankees should keep Loaisiga in the pen moving forward to be a future closer or should they try to put him back in the rotation eventually?
The New York Yankees had a prime opportunity to get closer to the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, but they ended up dropping the series opener at Fenway Park 5-3, even though they had runners on first and second base with no outs in the ninth inning.
Left-handed reliever Zack Britton had recently returned from a long stint on the injured list, and by the look of things, it appears he may be headed there again for a while, although the team hasn’t updated his status.
Pitching yesterday, the Yankees’ setup man winced in pain after a pitch and had to leave the game. The team later confirmed that it’s a left hamstring injury.
The Yankees will hopefully have an update on Saturday
Britton’s injury occurred in the eighth inning of Friday’s game. His final pitch was a 2-2 offering to Hunter Renfroe that missed the strike zone, and then he hobbled off the mound and toward the visiting dugout, per MLB.com.
“We’ll know (Saturday) whether it’s a cramp or a strain, but it was in the hamstring area,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, according to NJ Advance Media. “Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious. We’ll have to see. But I definitely feel for Britt in that spot knowing what he’s been through to get back.
“I thought (Friday) he was probably throwing the ball as well as we’ve seen. I thought he was really crisp. I thought it was coming out really nice, the sink. He threw some good sliders.”
Britton missed the Yankees’ first 63 of the 2021 season while recovering from March elbow surgery to remove a bone spur. He even suffered a minor setback during rehab that delayed his debut a little, but he eventually made it back. Now, the extent of his injury is unclear, but the team is expected to offer an update later on Saturday.
Will the Yankees’ bullpen be able to absorb another extended absence by Britton?
Tonight the New York Yankees renewed their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston. Martin Perez of the Sox faced Domingo German of the Yankees. It was a beautiful night in bean town with a game-time temperature of about 68, and the game was played under sunny skies. Before the game, the Sox celebrated the career of iconic second basemen, Dustin Pedroia. The Yankees lost the game 5-3.
DJ LeMahieu led off for the Yankee and ground out on the first pitch. Aaron Judge hooked one down to the Pesky pole for the second out. Gary Sanchez stuck out for a fast inning for Perez. At the bottom, Michael Chavis faced Domingo German and singled to right. Alex Verdugo singled down the middle. JD Martinez flew out to Judge in center holding the runners. Chavis stole third. Xander Bogaerts doubled, driving in Chavis and Verdugo for the early two-run lead for the Red Sox. Rafael Devers went down on strikes. Hunter Renfroe hit one off the green monster, and that drove in Bogaerts for the three-run lead. Kike Herandez struck out, but the Red Sox did the damage with 3 runs scored. Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.
Giancarlo Stanton led off the second inning by walking. Luke Voit singled up the middle as Stanton moved to second. Gleyber Torres went down on strikes. Gio Urshela singled to load the bases. Miguel Andujar went down looking. Clint Frazier walked in a run. LeMahieu had a two-run single to right, and two Yankee runs scored to tie up the game at 3. Judge ground ou to third, but the Yankees matched the Sox and tied the game. At the bottom, Christian Vazquez singled. Marwin Gonzalez went down swinging. Chavis flew out to Frazier in right. Verdugo grounded out to end the inning. New York Yankees 3 Red Sox 3.
Gary Sanchez led off the third inning by grounding out to third. Stanton singled to left. Luke Voit singled, moving Stanton to second. Torres’s struggles continued as he hit into a double play ending the half. JD Martinez led off the bottom by walking. Martinez went to second on a passed ball. Bogaerts flew out to Andujar. Devers hit back to the mound, but German bobbled the ball, and Devers reaches, and Martinez went to third. Renfroe flew out to Judge by the sac fly, scored Martinez. Hernandez ground out to third. Red Sox 4 Yankees 3.
At the top of the fourth, Gio Urshela hit one off the green monster for a double. Andujar singled, and Urshela took off for home but was out at the plate. Frazier flew out to center. LeMahieu faced the new pitcher Hiro Sawamura and hit into the force to end the half. Vazquez led off the bottom, and he flew out to Frazier. Gonzalez hit back to German, who fielded it. Chavis flew out to Andujar at the green monster to end the inning. Red Sox 4 Yankees 3.
Aaron Judge led off the fifth by hitting one deep but for an out. Sanchez walked. Stanton struck out swinging for the second out. Then, Luke Voit went down on strikes. At the bottom, Verdugo faced Lucas Luetge, and he ground out second. Martinez popped out to LeMahieu. Bogaerts flew out to Judge in front of the left-field wall to end the inning. Red Sox 4 Yankees 3.
At the sixth, Gleyber Torres led off and ground out to short. Urshela was out swinging. Andujar singled to right. Frazier struck out swinging as he continued his slide. Devers led off the bottom and struck out swinging. Renfroe walked. Hernandez swung and missed. Vazquez walked, and that did it for Luetge. Gonzalez faced the new Yankee pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga and flew out to Judge in center to end the inning. Red Sox 4 New York Yankees 3.
It was the top of the lineup for the Yankees in the seventh inning. DJ LeMahieu led off by grounding out to Devers at short. Judge also grounded out to Devers. Sanchez ground out for a quick half for Whitlock. The bottom of the inning saw Chavis at the plate; he reached on a wild pitch. Verdugo went down on strikes. Martinez went down on strikes. Bogaerts struck out for a four-strike-out inning, only the third time it has been done in Yankee history. Red Sox 4 New York Yankees 3.
At the top of the eighth, Stanton faced ex-Yankee Adam Ottavino and struck out. Voit stuck out against his former teammate. Torres lined out to center to end the half. The bottom was led off by Devers facing the new Yankee pitcher Zack Britton, and he popped out to LeMahieu in shallow center. Renfroe at the plate he left the mound with an injury had he hobbled back to the dugout. Renfroe faced the new Yankee pitcher Luis Cessa and walked; it was charged to Britton. Hernandez ground out to Urshela, with Hernandez moving to second. Vazquez got a base hit to center, driving in Hernandez for the 2 run Sox lead. Gonzalez singled to left, moving Vazquez to second. Chavis struck out, but the Red Sox got an insurance run. Red Sox 5 New York Yankees 3.
With last licks on the line for the Yankees, Matt Barnes, the Sox closer, faced Gio Urshela, who got an infield single. Miguel Andujar singled to left, moving Urshela to second. Tyler Wade was pinch-running for Andujar. Frazier struck out on a good at-bat. Urshela left the game and was pinch-run by Brett Gardner. Lemahieu hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and give the win to the Boston Red Sox. The winning pitcher was Garrett Whitlock, the loser was Domingo German and the save went to Matt Barnes.
Yesterday late afternoon, the New York Yankees, after failing to sweep the Minnesota Twins, took the field at Citizen’s Bank Park hope to right the ship and get a two-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. That was not to be and now will hope to split the series in a Matinee today before moving on to a three-game series in Buffalo against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Starter Taillon failed miserably
Time may be running out for Jameson Taillon as a Yankee starter. The Yankees, can’t have a starter in the rotation that has an ERA hovering around 6.00. So far he has only one win, the Yankees have lost 8 of his 12 starts. Last night was his worst performance of the season. He went 1/3 of an inning, giving up earned runs and putting the Yankees into a hole they couldn’t recover from.
Taillon would get strikes but couldn’t find the pitch to put hitters out. He threw 34 pitches with only one put out as the Phillies continued to foul off his pitches. In an after-game interview, Taillon said that he feels great, better than he has in a long time. He said he knew the pitches to throw; he just couldn’t execute them. Taillon said it was the first time in his five-year career he left a game in the first inning.
Gutsy Yankee comeback falls short
It was the first inning, not a single Yankees had come up to the plate yet, and they were already 4 runs behind in the game. The often silent Yankee lineup took on the challenge and clawed their way back to a 7 run tie in the ninth inning. They immediately answered the Phillies with 2 runs in the bottom of the first. They got another run in the sixth and eighth and exploded for 3 more runs in the top of the ninth to tie it up. Unfortunately, Aroldis Chapman took his second loss in a row in the bottom of the tenth.
The New York Yankees had their fifth game in a row, hitting double-digit hits. Gary Sanchez, Rougie Odor, and DJ LeMahieu all hit home runs in the game. One thing that has dogged them all season long was again apparent in last night’s game the Yankees went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees could have fallen victim to the National League park that put Giancarlo Stanton out of the lineup.
Yankees’ challenge going in the wrong direction
So far in this up and down season, the Yankees are failing to make progress; in fact, they are going in the wrong direction. They are now the farthest behind the East-leading Tampa Bay Rays that they have been this season, in their worst start since 1991. After last night’s game, they are 7 1/2 games behind and 5 1/2 behind the Red Sox. They are even with the Toronto Blue Jays, who they play next week in Buffalo.
The fortunes of the Yankees have switched up a bit. In recent games, the Yankee hitting has seemed more alive than it has all season. But on the reverse side, the pitching, both starting and in relief, is starting to show some cracks. The two main problems are that when the Yankees send out Jameson Taillon, they can almost be assured of a loss. More concerning than that is that the bullpen that has nearly carried the Yankees over the first 40 or 50 games is starting to show wear. Cessa, Green, and Chapman have all imploded in games.
Luis Severino leaves a game injured
During last night’s game in Philadelphia, the New York Yankees got bad news from Brooklyn. Luis Severino left the mound in the Renegades game injured. There is no information on the exact injury or how bad it is. But in the video showing him coming off the field helped by two coaches, he appeared to be in extreme pain.
We do know that a ball did not hit him. It appeared he misstepped after making a pitch, and the pain became immediately evident. In his 1 2/3 innings, some of his pitches neared 100 mph. After the game with the Phillies, Aaron Boone said he was aware of the injury but had few details say that he would go for an MRI on Monday. The Yankees were looking forward to his return to the team in a month or so. Now that may be in question, as the Yankees hope the injury is minor.
Notes:
Zack Britton: After Thursday night’s game in Minnesota, Boone said it was likely the Britton would re reactivated sometime during this road trip. Yesterday, fans were surprised to find that he was activated just hours after that statement and pitched a clean 8 pitch inning last night.
Domingo German takes the mound: In a matinee game today, the Yankees will wrap up their short series with the Phillies. Domingo German will take on the Phillies Aaron Nola. The 1:05 pm game will be televised on the YES Network, NBCSP, and MLBN.com out of market.
Although not as bad as the last two years, the New York Yankees have had their share of injuries. But the future looks bright with most injured players being back with the team in the month of July, some sooner. Here are the latest updates.
Zack Britton (Bone chip)
We start off with Zack Britton returning from bone chip surgery as he will be back to the team sooner than any other player on this list. Manager Aaron Boone said on Thursday that Britton is doing well coming off his first rehab game. Boone suggested that Britton would be activated off the IL during this road trip which could be as early as today, but more like will be during the Blue Jays series in Buffalo.
Luis Severino (Tommy John surgery)
After a successful first rehab start (2 2/3 1 run), Severino will make his second rehab start with the Hudson Valley Renegades this afternoon. Aaron Boone has stated that Severino’s starts will be six days apart. He is drawing closer to the return to Yankee Stadium, which is still projected to be in a month or so. He will probably only be built up to 50-60 pitches when he returns and will finish building up over several games, hoping that he will be fully stretched out by the postseason.
Luke Voit (Oblique)
As reported by Aaron Boone, Voit will have his first rehab game at Scranton Wilkes/Barre early next week. He could return to the team after a week of rehab games.
Darren O’Day (shoulder)
MLB.com reports that O’Day has increased his throwing distance to 120 feet on the flat and that he may start throwing off the mound soon. Projected return to the team something before the All-Star break.
Clarke Schmidt (elbow)
Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated has reported that Schmidt has been throwing bullpens. But so far, he is only throwing his fastballs. His projected return to the team is also sometime in July.
Justin Wilson (hamstring)
Aaron Boone stated on Tuesday that Wilson is responding well to treatment of his hamstring injury but did not indicate when he might pitch for the team.
Ryan LaMarre (hamstring)
LaMarre started rehab games this week at Scranton Wilkes/Barre. He could be available to the major league time in a week or two at the most.
Corey Kluber (shoulder)
As of the last update, Kluber is still tossing the ball but has not thrown off the mound. He is still projected to be out until early August if all goes well.
Aaron Hicks (wrist)
The has been no change in Hick’s recovery from wrist surgery. If he returns to the team this season, it likely will not be before September at best.
The New York Yankees took their series against the Minnesota Twins to open the week, even though they were stunned yesterday in the ninth inning and couldn’t complete the sweep. They have suffered some key injuries like Aaron Hicks, but at least they received two positive reports on the injury front in the last few hours.
Yankees’ first baseman Luke Voit, currently on the shelf with a Grade 2 right oblique strain, could potentially begin a rehab assignment on June 13 or June 15, per information provided by manager Aaron Boone by MLB.com.
That way, Voit would then build at-bats throughout the week. Boone also suggested that the slugger, who has missed most of the season with two separate injury list stints, may be able to come back by the beginning of the following week. The two potential dates are June 20 or June 22
The Yankees haven’t been able to enjoy much of Voit, who was last season’s home run leader with 22. A partially torn meniscus put him out of play until mid-May, and after a handful of games, he injured his oblique.
Yankees’ Zack Britton is a possibility for the weekend
Boone told reporters this week that left-handed reliever Zack Britton could “definitely” be back before the end of the Yankees’ road trip.
While the results of his rehab assignment haven’t been great – he recently allowed four runs in one third of an inning in an outing – he has experienced no setbacks, and threw a scoreless inning last night.
The current road trip ends next Thursday with a matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, so Britton will surely return before that day.
However, there are still internal discussions in the Yankees’ offices about bringing him back this weekend or letting him pitch a couple of additional rehab games before inserting him back in the roster.
Meredith Marakovits reported yesterday that “there is a possibility Zack Britton could rejoin the team in Philadelphia this weekend.”
"There is a possibility Zack Britton could rejoin the team in Philadelphia this weekend." -Meredith Marakovits pic.twitter.com/UuhyPvTt6C
The New York Yankees have one of the league’s strongest and deepest bullpens, and injury reports from the team suggest that it’s about to get even better soon. Left-hander Zack Britton, one of the anchors of the unit in recent seasons, is close to a return.
To be more specific, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that everything is ready for Britton to begin a Minor League rehab assignment with the Double-A Somerset Patriots on Saturday. The southpaw is expected to make five appearances before making his return to the big league roster.
Britton has been out of action the whole season to this point after needing surgery to remove a bone spur in his pitching elbow back in March.
The current estimated time for arrival (ETA) for his return to the Yankees’ bullpen, where he will join lefties Lucas Luetge and Justin Wilson, is early June.
The Yankees’ reliever will take care of Double-A squad
For years, rehabbing MLB players have treated minor leaguers with their company, cool stuff, dinners, presents, tales and anecdotes. It’s part of an old tradition in professional baseball, and the Yankees are no exception.
According to Britton’s comments on Thursday, players at Somerset will be part of this tradition, as well.
“I’m going to be in Somerset for quite a bit, so they’ll probably get tired of me down there,” Britton said. “I’ll make sure I take care of those guys. I know when I was in the Minors and a Major League player came down, you always appreciated those guys, even if it was just lunch or dinner or something like that.”
The Yankees reliever told a story about how rehabbing Orioles hurler Koji Uehara did something similar back in 2010, when Britton was in the minors. The veteran Japanese bought the squad a lavish dinner.
“I thought that was pretty cool. I remember playing with him after that and I told him that I really appreciated the gesture. That went a long way with the guys that were down there, and he didn’t think anything of it. It’s a cool tradition, understanding where you’ve come from,” Britton explained.
The New York Yankees have been playing far more efficient baseball as of late, despite falling to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon. While the team has experienced better offensive performances, the Yankees have been inconsistent in a few areas. Injuries have taken their toll at times, as slugger Giancarlo Stanton is the latest to go down with a quad strain.
Relief pitcher Zach Britton is also fighting his way back to the team but suffered a setback on Monday during a simulated game.
Two injuries the Yankees are now dealing with:
Zack Britton injury update:
“General soreness,” Boone said. “It could be related to just the normal ramp up of going into a sim game and facing hitters.”
Britton was preparing for his first outing on Tuesday night in Double-A Somerset, but he will likely have to wait a few more days to take that next step in his progression. After experiencing surgery to remove a bone chip from his throwing elbow on March 15, Zack has been slowly rehabilitating.
Giancarlo Stanton injury update:
The Yankees placed Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day injured list, but who really knows how long he will be out with a quad strain. Injuries in the past have kept Stanton out far longer than anticipated, and after starting the year hitting .282 with nine home runs, he will be missed in the lineup.
He was hosting his lowest strikeout rate since 2017 at 27.8% and slugging .534, his highest since his final season with the Miami Marlins. While Stanton no longer plays defense for the Bombers, it is unfortunate he continues to pick up injuries as the DH.
Compared to the last two seasons, the New York Yankees have been blessed with far fewer significant injuries. One of the injuries is a carryover from last year. Luis Severino underwent Tommy John surgery, not allowing him to pitch at all last season. Now Severino is just two months away from his expected return. Here is a list of the Yankees’ present injuries and the players’ progress.
Giancarlo Stanton, quad:
Giancarlo Stanton was scratched from last night’s game in Baltimore due to left quad tightness. Stanton has had a history of quadriceps problems. This issue has arisen in his left quad. He previously had right quad problems in the 2019 ALCS. He has not been put on the 10 day IL, and the Yankees have not explained the extensiveness of the injury. We know that Stanton usually does not come back quickly from these injuries if they are serious. The Yankees have to hope that the injury is minor as he is presently their best hitter.
Aaron Hicks, wrist:
The injury to Aaron Hicks wrist may not be a minor as the Stanton injury. Hicks could be out for some time with a wrist injury. They have issued a mixed bag on the injury, saying that he could return after a few days of rest, that he may have to go to the IL, to he may require surgery. If the latter is the case, he will be missing from the Yankees lineup for some time. “I think it could go either way,” is what Aaron Boone said. With Odor, Torres, and Stanton out of the lineup, the Yankee hope he will just need rest.
Gio Urshela, knee:
Gio Urshela is not on the IL and is still playing. During a catch in the Astros series, Urshela injured his knee, falling on it. He missed a few days and returned to the team. In the last game at Tampa, he seemed to run the bases haltingly. Last night he seemed to run better. In an after-game interview, he indicated it was getting better each day.
Gleyber Torres, Covid:
Of the eight positive Covid cases the New York Yankees are dealing with, Gleyber Torres is the only player affected. After being infected with the virus last December, Torres was one of the vaccinated players in April with the J&J vaccine. Wednesday, it was announced that Torres had contracted the virus again. He was placed on the 10 Covid lists. That protocol calls for him to be quarantined for 10 days in Tampa, or if he tests negative for three days in a row, he may be able to return to the team.
Darren O’Day, rotator cuff:
The 38 year old sidearm reliever is on the 10 IL for a rotaor cuff injury. “You talk to any veteran relief pitcher, you’re going to deal with things throughout the year,” Boone said. “This is enough to where it does require a few weeks of shutdown. Hopefully he can get this thing right and still be an important part of our bullpen moving forward.”
Asher Wojciechowski, lat injury:
Asher is now with the Scranton Wilkes/Barre Rail Raiders. He suffered a lat injury at the end of spring training. He has bee day to day and very little information on his rehab is available, but once he is good to go it is unlikely he will return to the team.
Zack Britton, Bone chip:
Back in March, Zack Britton underwent surgery to have a bone chip removed from his pitching elbow. Earlier in April, Aaron Boone provided a positive update on Britton’s rehab.
“Zack’s doing really well. He’s got full range of motion. I think he is scheduled to start playing catch as early as this week. … The incision and the swelling and all that, which is the biggest hurdle to clear initially, is going really well for him.
Britton is not eligible to return until the end of this month, depending on his progress. He will throw off a mound now that the New York Yankees have returned from their road trip, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.
Robinson Chirinos, wrist:
Robinson Chirinos is now at Triple-A Scranton rehabbing. He is doing well playing in exhibition games and could return to the Yankees in the next two weeks if he is needed.
Clarke Schmidt,
Jordan Horrobin of MLB.com reports that Schmidt has begun throwing again. Schmidt suffered a common flexor strain during spring training. He received a cortisone shot to relieve pain. If pitching off the flat is a success, he will move on to pitch from the mound. There is no timetable for his return. Boone said, “Obviously, it’s going to take a while because he’s starting from scratch essentially, but he’s doing well.”
Luis Severino, Tommy John:
Severino has been throwing off a mound since March 11 and is close to being cleared to face hitters. Manager Aaron Boone said:
“I don’t know his exact date of throwing to hitters. I know it’s mapped out and I’ll try to peek at the schedule here (Thursday or Friday). I know that he’s got a bullpen (Thursday) (April 29) of 35 pitches, so he is getting close.”
Severino was originally expected to return to the mound at Yankee Stadium late in the summer, but that has advanced to him returning very late in June of at least before the All-Star break. This week he was seen at the Tampa complex throwing a batting practice with New York Yankees phenom Jasson Dominguez.
