If all goes well, Cody Bellinger would rejoin the Yankees lineup Sunday.
The outfielder came through his first rehab game feeling fine according to manager Aaron Boone, after Bellinger served as designated hitter and went 1-for-3 Thursday.
In his follow-up, he played six innings of left field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. If he encountered no issues, the plan was for Bellinger to take an off day Saturday and then be an option for the series finale against the Blue Jays in The Bronx.
Presuming he is activated Sunday, Bellinger would have missed four weeks and one day, returning on the early side from a Grade II hamstring strain that had called for a 4-6 week absence.
A team that has been without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and now is without Ryan McMahon would welcome back a much-needed bat.
There has been curiosity concerning whose roster spot Bellinger would take, with both the optionable Spencer Jones and the not-optionable Amed Rosario possibly in danger.
But as McMahon hit the injured list Friday with a thumb sprain and Max Schuemann was recalled, Schuemann became the most likely roster-crunch victim.
Boone hinted as much when asked if the club had considered bringing up Anthony Volpe rather than Schuemann to replace McMahon.
The manager said Volpe was “in the conversation” but cited Schuemann’s defensive flexibility and the impending return of Bellinger to explain the move.
The club probably did not mind altering Schuemann’s routine for a couple days to summon him to the majors and might have minded bringing up Volpe — who is learning second base with SWB — for just a weekend.
In the Yankees’ 3-1 win, Brent Headrick allowed a two-out triple to Brett Bateman but bounced back to strike out George Springer to escape the seventh, furthering a stretch in which he has not allowed a run in 38 of his past 43 games.
Paul Blackburn then entered and pitched around a one-out double to Jesús Sánchez.
“It’s been awesome,” Boone said of the setup men who have emerged as significant pieces.
After Austin Wells caught nine innings Thursday and with a day game set for Saturday, the catcher was out of the starting lineup Friday.
He pinch hit in the seventh and flied out.
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Ali Sánchez (0-for-2, two strikeouts) started for the first time since Aug. 13.
The Yankees signed righty Eli Morgan to a minor league deal after the 30-year-old was designated for assignment by the Royals last week.
Morgan had pitched to a 5.12 ERA in 19 ¹/₃ big-league innings with Kansas City this season.n
Before the game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Tommy John, who died last Saturday at 83.
