NEW YORK — The Yankees received one roster return Sunday, but the larger injury picture still left the club waiting on several bigger answers.
Austin Wells came off the injured list. Trent Grisham moved well enough to create optimism before a difficult road trip. Luis Gil resumed throwing after right shoulder inflammation. Max Fried stayed on track. George Lombard Jr. remained sidelined. Aaron Judge continued his longer recovery from a rib stress fracture.
That is a lot for one injury board.
The Yankees are still trying to protect first place while managing a roster that has lost major power, outfield defense, rotation depth and prospect cover in recent weeks.
Grisham gives Yankees a better sign
Grisham’s hamstring injury gave the Yankees another outfield problem when he landed on the 10-day injured list June 13. The latest update sounded more encouraging.
The center fielder has been performing on-field agility exercises. The Yankees also discussed whether he would travel with the club for the Detroit and Boston road trip.
That does not mean Grisham is close to game action. It does mean the early stage of his recovery has gone well enough for the Yankees to consider keeping him around the major league club.
Boone gave the update before Sunday’s game against the Reds. It mattered because Grisham had become more than a depth piece before the injury.
“We’re really encouraged by how well he’s doing,” Boone said.
Grisham hurt his right hamstring June 12 while rounding first base and sliding into second after a single. The first expectation was that he would miss a few weeks.
MLB.com lists his expected return as July.
That timeline still leaves the Yankees short in center field for now. But light agility work gives the club something better than uncertainty.
Grisham entered the injury stretch batting .232 with a .341 on-base percentage, a .406 slugging percentage, a .747 OPS and eight home runs. His offense had improved after a rough first season in New York. His defense also gave Boone an important late-game option.
The Yankees need that combination back.
Without Grisham, the outfield picture has asked more from Jasson Domínguez, Cody Bellinger and the rest of the roster. It also removed a left-handed bat at a time when Aaron Judge remains out.
Gil resumes throwing after shoulder issue
The pitching side brought a quieter but important update.
Demoted pitcher Luis Gil has resumed throwing after dealing with right shoulder inflammation. Boone said the right-hander started throwing last weekend, according to the update from the Reds series.
Gil is on the seven-day injured list while with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. MLB.com lists his expected return as possibly August.
That makes this more of a long-range update than an immediate roster fix. Still, it matters for a Yankees staff that has needed every bit of depth.
Gil has gone 1-2 with a 6.05 ERA in four games this season. The numbers were not sharp before the injury. But the Yankees still value his arm because he remains on the 40-man roster and gives the organization another possible rotation or depth option later in the year.
Shoulder inflammation always demands caution. The Yankees have not announced a rushed timeline. The first step is simply getting Gil throwing again without trouble.
For a club looking toward July and August, that is still a useful development.
Fried moves closer to the next test
Fried’s update gave the Yankees another reason for careful optimism.
The left-hander threw a bullpen session June 19 at Yankee Stadium as he works back from a left elbow bone bruise. MLB.com said he is aiming to face hitters by the end of June or early July.
That is the next meaningful step.
A bullpen session is controlled. Facing hitters brings a different test. It asks Fried to repeat his delivery, finish pitches and respond to normal game-like intensity.
Boone’s update showed the Yankees like the direction of the rehab.
“He feels great,” Boone said. “Every check mark has gone well for him.”
Fried went on the 15-day injured list May 16, retroactive to May 14. His expected return remains possibly July.
The Yankees do not need to force the issue if the rotation can hold. But Fried’s return would change the feel of the staff. It would restore a top-end left-hander and help reduce stress on the rest of the group.
With Gerrit Cole already back, Fried’s next steps could reshape the Yankees’ rotation depth before the trade deadline.
Wells returns as Lombard waits
The Yankees got one direct roster gain Sunday when Wells returned from the 10-day injured list.
Wells had been out because of cervical headaches. The Yankees reinstated him before Sunday’s game and optioned Elmer Rodríguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
His return matters because the Yankees need stability behind the plate. Wells had struggled offensively before the injury, but he remains an important part of the club’s catching plan.
He also gave the Yankees a positive rehab sign before returning. Wells hit two home runs for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 18.
The minor league injury news was less helpful.
George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect, remains on the seven-day minor league injured list because of sprained fingers on his left hand. He left Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s June 16 game in the fifth inning after a play at second base in which his glove was knocked off an inning earlier.
The Yankees said he sustained two sprained fingers.
MLB.com lists his expected return as possibly July.
Lombard’s injury does not directly change Boone’s lineup today. It does matter because his Triple-A rise had started to create a louder conversation.
He can play shortstop, second base and third base. That versatility made him a name to watch if the Yankees needed infield help later this summer.
For now, that possibility has to wait.
Judge remains the biggest injury shadow
Judge remains the injury that frames everything else.
The Yankees captain is on the 10-day injured list with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. His IL move was retroactive to June 2.
MLB.com lists his expected return as possibly August. The latest public plan calls for Judge to be evaluated again after a rest and recovery period. That recheck window runs around July 3 to July 17.
That next imaging will determine his level of healing and the next steps in his recovery.
The Yankees have not announced a new return date.
That is why every smaller update carries extra weight. Grisham’s progress matters more because Judge is out. Fried’s progress matters more because the Yankees need run prevention while the lineup plays without its biggest bat. Wells’ return matters more because the lineup cannot afford empty spots.
Judge’s absence also changes the way the Yankees view their roster before the deadline.
If he remains on track, the club can think about adding around him. If the recovery slows, the Yankees may have to weigh a different level of urgency.
The latest 48-hour injury picture gave the Yankees some good news. Wells returned. Grisham moved better. Gil started throwing. Fried kept checking boxes.
But the main question has not changed.
Until Judge gets his next scan, the Yankees are still waiting on the update that matters most.
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