NEW YORK — The Yankees have survived the summer on pitching and patience, waiting for a battered lineup to get whole.
That wait is not over. But for the first time in weeks, the reinforcements are close enough to see. Before Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium, two of the team’s most important injured hitters took clear steps forward on the field.
The Yankees entered the night 67-52, second in the AL East and six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. Their offense has ranked among the worst in baseball since early July, largely because the middle of the order has been gutted by injuries. Getting healthy is the single biggest factor in how far this team can go.
Manager Aaron Boone offered updates on five players working back from the injured list. The timelines range from days to weeks, and not every road leads back to a clear role. Here is where each of them stands.
Cody Bellinger close to Yankees return
Cody Bellinger is the closest position player to returning. The outfielder has missed more than two weeks with a hamstring strain suffered in late July, an injury given a four-to-six-week timetable. Before Tuesday’s game, he went through agility drills and shagged fly balls in the outfield.
Boone said Bellinger has been running well and is nearly back to full speed, with only minor lingering tightness to clear.
“He’s running really well,” Boone said. “He’s probably at I think over 90 percent of his normal top speed and feeling good doing that.”
Boone added that the final hurdle is getting through daily intensity without setbacks.
“I know he still feels a little bit of tightness getting into certain positions, so it’s just getting through that last wave, which hopefully he works through this week,” Boone said. “But I don’t think he’s too far off.”
Bellinger has been one of the Yankees’ best players when healthy. In 102 games he is hitting .259 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .770 OPS, and he leads all left fielders in defensive runs saved. Heliot Ramos has covered left field in his absence.
Giancarlo Stanton is running
Stanton reached a meaningful milestone Tuesday. For the first time since suffering his second calf strain in June, the designated hitter ran the bases and looked like himself doing it. Running is typically one of the last steps before a player either starts a rehab assignment or is activated.
Boone acknowledged the progress but stayed cautious about what comes next.
“It does feel like he’s getting closer,” Boone said.
Boone would not commit to whether Stanton needs a rehab assignment, saying only that there is at least a chance of one. The caution is understandable. Stanton was running the bases in June, on the edge of a return, when the second calf strain set him back.
Stanton has not played since April 24. His right-handed power has been badly missed with Aaron Judge also sidelined. Any return would likely require at least a short ramp-up before he rejoins the Yankees lineup.
Yankees put Kervin Castro on IL
Not every update was positive. The Yankees placed reliever Kervin Castro on the 15-day injured list with right elbow neuritis. His prognosis was not immediately known.
Castro had pitched well in limited work, allowing one earned run over 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. To fill the roster spot, the Yankees recalled right-hander Bradley Hanner from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hanner, a 27-year-old with long minor league service, carried a 2.10 ERA over 51 1/3 innings there.
Luis Gil rehab
Gil began his minor league rehab assignment Tuesday, and the early sign was encouraging. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year threw one inning for High-A Hudson Valley, his first game action since going on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation on May 8.
Gil pounded the strike zone, throwing 12 of his 13 pitches for strikes. He allowed two hits, walked none and struck out one. He is scheduled to throw again in four days as the Yankees monitor how his shoulder recovers.
His role remains unsettled. With the regular season winding down, Boone said Gil could potentially fit into the bullpen rather than the rotation if he makes it back. Gil went 1-2 with a 6.05 ERA in four starts for the Yankees earlier this year before being optioned in late April.
Carlos Rodon nears return
Rodon is further along than Gil but still building. The left-hander is scheduled to make his second rehab start Thursday, this one with Double-A Somerset. His first outing was uneven.
In that first start, Rodon was not sharp, throwing 48 pitches over 2 2/3 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees will look for a cleaner effort and more length as he stretches toward a return to the rotation.
The health picture doubles as the season’s central question. The Yankees have stayed in the race on the strength of their pitching, but the lineup cannot keep grinding out one-run wins forever. Bellinger and Stanton represent the two biggest additions still to come.
New York remains second in the AL East and holds a comfortable lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL wild-card race. Catching the Rays may be a stretch, but securing the top wild-card spot and home-field advantage is very much in play. A healthier lineup would sharpen those odds.
For now, the Yankees wait and watch. Bellinger could be back within days. Stanton is close but unconfirmed. Castro is a fresh concern, while Gil and Rodon work their way through the minors. The next week of rehab work will shape how the Yankees look down the stretch.
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