Juan Soto remained out of the Yankees’ lineup on Sunday against the Dodgers, but Aaron Boone expected the slugger to go through his normal pregame routine.
That routine includes swinging.
The manager added that Soto, sidelined by left forearm inflammation the last few days, could be available to the Yankees off the bench in their series finale against Los Angeles. Better yet, Boone expected to have Soto back in the lineup in Kansas City, where the Yankees start a four-game series on Monday.
“Yeah, that’s the hope,” Boone said.
The skipper added that Soto does not need more testing after receiving imaging on Friday. The right fielder also won’t be restricted to hitting when he returns to action.
“The answers we got back from the testing, we’re not worried about him doing anything that he’s gotta do baseball-wise,” Boone said when asked if Soto will be used in the field. “It’s just based on how he’s doing, how he’s feeling. He should be good to go.”
Cole’s 2nd Rehab Start
Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) threw 4.2 innings in his second rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Sunday. The righty totaled two hits, one earned run, zero walks, four strikeouts and one home run over 57 pitches against the Hartford Yard Goats.
“I saw his last inning,” Boone said, adding that he expected Cole to attend the Yankees’ game on Sunday. “I saw how he finished. Looked really good.”
Cole, not thrilled with his fastball early on, told reporters in Somerset, that “it’s tough to say” how many more rehab starts he’ll need. However, he expected to throw at least one more.
Boone said it’s too soon to know how many more rehab outings Cole will need.
Domínguez Ready, But Yanks Are Not
Boone said that Jasson Domínguez, on a rehab assignment at Triple-A following UCL surgery, is “probably” ready if the Yankees need him.
“If the need arises, we probably wouldn’t hesitate,” Boone said.
However, the Yankees don’t plan on promoting their red-hot top prospect right now. They want Domínguez to play every day, and they have a set starting outfield with Soto expected to avoid the injured list.
While the Yankees have had to lean on Trent Grisham – a lesser bat who was batting fifth Sunday – with Soto out, that is a short-term situation.
“When it’s his time, we’ll be excited for that because we know what kind of impact he can have,” Boone said of Domínguez. “But we’re not going to rush that either. It will be when it’s right.
“The time he’s gonna come up here, he’s gonna play. So that avenue is gonna have to be there.”
Marinaccio In a Better Spot
The Yankees recalled Ron Marinaccio on Sunday when they designated Dennis Santana (6.26 ERA) for assignment. The right-handed Marinaccio has been excellent in the majors and minors this season, recording a 1.42 ERA with the Yankees and a 1.17 ERA at Triple-A.
Considering his success in the majors, Marinaccio was a bit frustrated the last time he was demoted. However, Boone has been impressed with the work he’s done since.
“He’s in a good place,” the manager said. “He was frustrated going down last time, but to his credit, he went down there and did what he needed to do.”
Added Marinaccio: “It’s always tough to be down there, but I tried to take a little bit of a different approach this year and stay stronger mentally, be ready. It’s a long season left here, so I wanted to stay ready and be ready to come help whenever I’m needed.”
