NEW YORK — There won’t be too many pregame pressers this season that feature more positive Yankees injury news from manager Aaron Boone than Tuesday’s media session at Yankee Stadium.
Ace Gerrit Cole continues to make progress in his throwing program, tossing a second bullpen session. Everything has gone well with the right-hander’s rehab since he was shut down in spring training with nerve inflammation in his elbow.
Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu is slowly ramping up in baseball activities, getting closer to in-game action after the setback he suffered late last month. LeMahieu was taking grounders at third base on Tuesday afternoon, planting and moving laterally with his injured right foot.
Both of those two key pieces could travel with the Yankees on their upcoming road trip to Tampa, continuing to rehab at the organization’s complex, Boone said.
Meanwhile, reliever Nick Burdi and infielder Oswald Peraza are starting rehab assignments.
Burdi (hip inflammation) will pitch in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. His first rehab outing (with Double-A Somerset) was rained out on Sunday — the same storm that forced the Yankees to play eight innings in a monsoon in the Bronx — but he still tossed one live inning against some of the club’s minor-league hitters.
Peraza (shoulder strain) will suit up for the Class-A Tarpons on Tuesday, his first in-game appearance since early in Grapefruit League play this spring. Like Cole, Peraza needs to build up with a full spring training-like workload, so he’ll be on assignment for the next few weeks, at least.