There were some positive developments on the injury front Tuesday, as Brett Gardner was able to run and hit after getting a cortisone shot in his left knee over the weekend. He hopes to be activated off the IL when he’s eligible on Friday.
“I pushed it and it felt good,’’ Gardner said before the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at the Stadium. “We’ll do pretty much the same stuff [Wednesday] and hopefully I’m on track for this weekend.’’
Though DJ LeMahieu said his tight groin had improved since the weekend and he was available, he wasn’t used even after Luke Voit left the game with a core muscle injury in the fifth.
He ran and went through his pregame routine and reported no issues.
“We’ll continue to evaluate it,’’ Aaron Boone said of LeMahieu. “The running he did went well. … I continue to be encouraged with where he is and the decision we made to hold off [on the IL].”
Gary Sanchez is “doing well, probably a little better than we anticipated,’’ Boone said of the catcher’s recovery from a strained groin.
Sanchez ran inside and hit in the cage on Tuesday. Boone doesn’t believe Sanchez will be able to be back by Saturday, when he’s eligible to come off the IL, but called the progress “encouraging.”
The Yankees were waiting on news on CC Sabathia’s right knee. He was scheduled to see team physician Chris Ahmad on Tuesday and get an injection in the surgically repaired right knee.
Boone hoped to have a better idea Wednesday how long Sabathia might be sidelined.
Giancarlo Stanton (sprained right knee), meanwhile, seems no closer to returning.
“He’s still moving slow and still trying to build up quad strength,’’ Boone said. “He’s not doing baseball activities yet. Hopefully he’ll get to a point where he can go down to Tampa and start ramping back up, but he’s not there yet.”
Luis Severino and Dellin Betances had a scheduled off day in their throwing programs, but Boone said Severino is expected to start throwing off a mound “soon.”
Two important arms pitched for Double-A Trenton on Tuesday, as right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga began a rehab assignment with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts and another right-hander, Mike King, had his rehab transferred from Single-A Staten Island to Trenton and allowed three runs — two earned — in four innings. Loaisiga has been out with a shoulder injury and King has had elbow issues.