LOS ANGELES — On Saturday, it was the Dodger Stadium mound 4 and a half hours earlier than first pitch.
By Tuesday, it might be the Yankee Stadium mound within the late innings.
Fernando Cruz accomplished what is predicted to be his final step earlier than being activated off the injured record, going through hitters Saturday morning at Dodger Stadium as he comes again from shoulder irritation.
The reliever threw about 17 pitches to Pablo Reyes and J.C. Escarra, and if he recovers nicely within the coming days, he ought to be activated off the IL when he’s first eligible on Tuesday.
“Every little thing feels actually good, easy,” Cruz mentioned earlier than the Yankees’ 18-12 blowout loss to the Dodgers. “I wasn’t even making an attempt to throw laborious and it feels superb. … Really feel actually good. Threw all my pitches for strikes. Velocity was there. … Really feel actually wholesome.”
Getting Cruz again might be a giant increase for the Yankees bullpen after he had pitched to a 2.66 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 23 ¹/₃ innings earlier than being sidelined.
“I believe it was price it [going on the IL],” Cruz mentioned. “The ache I used to be going by way of wanted to be mounted. This time made me even higher, I believe, from a working standpoint.”
On a weekend when he acquired his World Collection ring from the Dodgers, Ryan Yarbrough is about to face them in Sunday’s collection finale.
The veteran lefty swingman, who has been a boon for the Yankees to this point this season, made 32 reduction appearances for the Dodgers final yr earlier than they traded him to the Blue Jays on the deadline.
The Yankees might have skipped Yarbrough on Sunday and thrown Carlos Rodón on regular relaxation, particularly with an off day Monday.
As a substitute, they are going to maintain Yarbrough on flip and provides Rodón the additional relaxation earlier than going through the Guardians on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, coming off his seven-inning, 105-pitch gem towards the Angels.
“Simply felt prefer it was in all probability greatest and that places [Rodón] in line to go Tuesday-Sunday now, which might be a five-day on the following one,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “And clearly, Yarbs is throwing the ball rather well.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (indirect pressure) performed in his second rehab recreation Saturday with Double-A Somerset, going 1-for-3 with a steal and spending six innings at third base.
He might DH on Sunday earlier than seemingly being activated Tuesday.
After crushing two house runs on Friday evening, Shohei Ohtani took the mound Saturday afternoon for the equal of two innings, going through hitters for the second time since present process UCL surgical procedure.
The Dodgers have mentioned the two-way famous person might return to pitching in video games sooner or later after the All-Star break.
A handful of Yankees got here out to observe Ohtani throw, together with Oswald Peraza, who had his telephone out to doc it.
