LOS ANGELES — Luis Gil took the next step of his rehab process Friday — onto the mound.
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year still has a ways to go before he could rejoin the Yankees from the high-grade lat strain he suffered in spring training, but his 15-pitch bullpen session Friday marked the latest box he has checked on the road back.
“I heard [it was] good,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday at Dodger Stadium before the Yankees’ 8-5 loss to the Dodgers. “Another good step for Luis.”
Gil began his throwing program April 27 after being shut down for eight weeks following the diagnosis.
Since he missed almost all of spring training, he will need to go through the equivalent of that (six weeks), but he still is behind where pitchers normally are when they report to camp.
Given that, the best-case scenario may be getting Gil back at some point after the All-Star break in July since he still has to throw multiple bullpen sessions, multiple live batting practices and a rehab assignment to build up his pitch count.
The Yankees rotation has been thriving lately, even without him and Gerrit Cole, who is out for the season because of Tommy John surgery, but the Yankees gladly will take Gil back whenever he is ready.
“It’s still going to be a while,” Boone said. “Today was technically what we call a touch-and-feel, where you’re getting off the slope for the first time.
“The good news is he seems to be in a really good spot. He’s responded from this whole rehab process really well. Every step, whether it’s once he started throwing and once he started long tossing, now getting on the mound, it’s gone really well. I know he’s felt really good throughout it, so hopefully that’s a good sign.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (oblique strain) came through his first rehab game Thursday feeling good and had Friday off.
He will play another game Saturday with Double-A Somerset at third base, then potentially DH on Sunday before possibly being activated Tuesday when the Yankees open a homestand.
Boone reiterated that he is “leaning” toward having Chisholm play third base when he gets back — after playing second base to start the season — which allows DJ LeMahieu to play second base, where he is most comfortable, as he tries to prove he still can contribute.
“Even when you have the skill set to do it, like Jazz obviously does, third, when you haven’t done it, can be a little tricky on the fly,” Boone said. “He had some growing pains in there [last year], but overall, he was elite, in my opinion. The range he has over there, the arm strength, some of the double plays he was turning, I thought he did really well.”
Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows) has been getting five to seven at-bats in live batting practice every day this week in Tampa, which will continue through the weekend.
The Yankees will then reassess what comes next — either more live at-bats or a rehab assignment — but he is likely to need at least another week before he could be activated.
Fernando Cruz (shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to face hitters Saturday in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium.
If that goes well, he is likely to be activated when first eligible on Tuesday.
Mookie Betts was not in the Dodgers lineup after stubbing his toe Wednesday night at home, manager Dave Roberts said.
He was set to undergo X-rays before first pitch, with Roberts labeling him as day to day.
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