Several New York Yankees Stars Receive Encouraging Injury Updates

The New York Yankees were playing two against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday — and handing out encouraging injury updates.

YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits reported updates on several injured Yankees players, all of which had some level of encouragement.

Starting pitcher Luis Gil threw on Sunday from flat ground and it was the first time he had thrown a baseball since he was diagnosed with a right lat strain. Marakovits reported that Gil said he felt “good” after the session.

He was supposed to start throwing earlier this month but had a minor setback. Gil is still on a timetable that will allow him to return sometime in June and he’ll need a build-up similar to spring training before he can return to the rotation.

New York has a battered pitching staff. Along with Gil, Gerrit Cole, Clayton Beeter, JT Brubaker, Jake Cousins, Scott Effross and Marcus Stroman are all on either the 15-day or 60-day injured list.

Speaking of Cousins, he is throwing from the mound and will throw live sessions next week. That usually means live batting practice. After that, he’ll start a rehab assignment.

Cousins is on the 60-day IL with a right flexor strain and cannot be activated until at least mid-May as he was placed on the IL on March 27. He went 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA last season in 37 games, as he struck out 53 and walked 20 in 38 innings.

Offensively, third baseman DJ LeMahieu is continuing his rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this weekend. In three games with Double-A Somerset the bat has responded, as he slashed .625/.625/1.125 with one home runs and three RBI.

He was placed on the IL on March 26 with a left calf strain suffered in spring training. Injuries have been a significant issue for him in the past couple of seasons. He’s coming off a 2024 in which he played just 67 games and slashed .204/.269/.259 with two home runs and 26 RBI. New York had hoped he would be their everyday third baseman this season.

Finally, relief pitcher Jonathan Loáisiga threw a scoreless inning of relief in his first action of the season as the Tarpons faced the Dunedin Blue Jays on Saturday. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out one batter as he threw 10 pitches, eight of which were strikes.

He is starting his rehab assignment as he is a year removed from an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow. His season ended last April when he was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, the one associated with Tommy John surgery. He also suffered a right flexor strain.