Tuesday marked the first day Giancarlo Stanton was eligible to be removed from the 10-day disabled list.
But it doesn’t sound like the veteran DH, who is dealing with a “low-grade” strain in his right calf, is actually close to recovery.
Stanton has yet to start any form of running, manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday, as the 36-year-old is still feeling the effects of a lingering calf issue.
“He’s doing well, and he’s beaten them,” Boone said before the Yankees beat the Rangers 7-4.
“[It’s lingering] slowly. It still feels small, but it’s not ready to push it yet.”
When Stanton arrived in the IL — four days after being injured running between first and second base in an April 24 game against the Astros, with the club waiting to see if he could avoid the shadow — the Yankees hoped it would be short-lived.
But Stanton has a history of soft tissue injuries in his legs, so they say there’s no push for it to turn into something more serious.
Meanwhile, Jason Domínguez has largely filled the DH role — after avoiding a serious elbow injury when he was hit by a pitch last Wednesday — entering Tuesday hitting .273 with an .833 OPS in six games.
He went 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s win.
Ben Rice was out of the lineup for the second straight Tuesday, still dealing with a concussion in his left hand he suffered Sunday.
The scrappy first baseman had hoped to pick up a bat at some point on Tuesday to see how much he had improved, but was forced to undergo treatment.
“It’s better today,” Rice said before trying to swing.
Paul Goldschmidt started again in Rice’s place and went 2-for-4 with a home run.
Carlos Rodón made his third and likely final rehab start Tuesday night for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — throwing 85 pitches over 6 ¹/₃ innings in which he gave up six runs (five earned) — provided all goes well in the coming days.
The plan is for the left-hander to start next for the Yankees, Boone said Tuesday, assuming he comes out of the start healthy as he comes back in October from surgery to remove loose bodies and shave off his left elbow.
“I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do,” said Rodón at Polar Park. “I’ll be fine if they call my name. That would be great.”
Rodón said that things could have been rough for him, but he did what he wanted to do in terms of expanding his career.
Gerrit Cole made his fourth rehab start on Tuesday with High-A Hudson Valley – he threw 69 pitches while giving up five runs over 4 ¹/₃ innings – although there was nothing imminent about his return as he undergoes a long recovery from Tommy John surgery.
“I don’t know for sure, but I still think he’s a little far,” Boone said.
– Additional reporting by Dan Martin Worcester, Mass.
