TORONTO — Aaron Boone didn’t want to play the speculating game when asked about injuries to Gary Sanchez and Edwin Encarnacion, but the Yankees manager had an idea when J.A. Happ would return.
Boone, however, was optimistic the trio, each of whom left the team in Detroit for tests in New York, would return at some point this year. For Sanchez and Encarnacion, the next few days will play an important part of their return as will the calendar, since the Yankees have 13 games remaining following Friday night’s 6-5 loss in 12 innings to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
“Gary has a [left] groin strain, similar to his last one, slightly different spot.’’ Boone said of Sanchez, who was on the injured list from July 24 to Aug. 10 with a strained left groin and did two stints on the IL last year with strained right groin issues. “Hopefully we get him back by the end of the season. The next few days, how he responds, will be a determining factor. Optimistic he can make it back.’’
Sanchez, who is second to Gleyber Torres with 34 homers and third with 77 RBIs among Yankees hitters, was thrown out attempting to steal second in the third inning of the nightcap of Thursday’s doubleheader in Detroit. He remained in the game to catch the home third, then departed.
Encarnacion was diagnosed with an internal strain of his left oblique muscle. Aaron Judge missed two months earlier this season with a strained left oblique, so the comparisons were easy to make. According to Boone, however, Judge had an internal and external strains in the left oblique.
Boone used the word “mild’’ to describe the 36-year-old Encarnacion’s strain, but as with Sanchez, the next few days will paint a clearer picture of Encarnacion’s future.
“We’re optimistic we can get him back at some point,’’ Boone said of the middle-of-the-order right-handed hitter, who was batting .342 (13-for-38) with four homers, 12 RBIs and a 1.059 OPS in his previous nine games. “But again, these next several days could be a determining factor.’’
Asked if one was more likely than the other to make it back, Boone said he didn’t know.
“We won’t know until these days unfold,’’ Boone said.
While Boone was optimistic about seeing Sanchez and Encarnacion at some point — regular season or postseason — he had a timetable for Happ. The left-hander went 4 ²/₃ innings in the first game Thursday and then went to New York to have his left biceps examined. He received a cortisone shot, and Boone expects Happ to start at some point next week.
“We think he should be fine and pitch on the next homestand,’’ said Boone, whose club opens the final homestand of the season Tuesday night against the Angels ahead of three versus the Blue Jays.
Luis Severino will make his first big league appearance of the season Tuesday night in The Bronx and Happ will follow at some point.
“With [Severino] getting back into the flow probably sometime early or in the middle of the homestand,’’ Boone said of Happ getting a start.
When Boone didn’t have Judge in the lineup for Friday night’s game against lefty Anthony Kay, the manager was asked about the right fielder banging into the wall to make a catch in the second game Thursday. Boone replied that Judge was fine. Hitting the wall, however, played a small part in Boone’s decision to start Cameron Maybin in right field Friday.
“When I left the ballpark [Thursday], I planned on playing him [Friday], but being on the plane and talking to some of the coaches and him playing 18 innings, traveling in here on the turf and banging into the wall, I felt today was best to have him down,’’ said Boone, who explained he would consider using Judge in “the right situation’’ Friday night.
He found that situation as Judge pinch hit for Tyler Wade in the 12th inning. He struck out in the Yankees’ loss.