Yankees Notebook: Jameson Taillon hopes to make his next start after X-rays show no break
ANAHEIM — Jameson Taillon is sore but optimistic. The Yankees’ right-hander left Tuesday night’s game after a line drive hit him on the forearm. X-Rays showed no breaks, but the arm was swollen and sore.
“There’s still a little bit of swelling in there, but he was encouraged. He felt like it feels better than he expected,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday night’s series finale against the Angels. “We’ll see how the next couple days go and hopefully he’ll be in position to make his next start. But we’ll know more in the next day and a half.
“Tomorrow he’ll play catch when we get to Tampa.”
If Taillon is not able to make his next scheduled start, the Yankes do have an off day on Thursday and could bring Gerrit Cole back on regular rest to pitch in Monday’s series-opener against the Twins at the Stadium. They have very limited options in the minor leagues after trading the bulk of their upper-level pitching at the trade deadline.
RIZZO RESTS
After hitting homers in two straight games, Anthony Rizzo was out of the lineup Wednesday. Boone said he is still dealing with a back issue, which has cost him nine games already this season.
“He’s still dealing with the back stuff,” Boone said. “Obviously, he’s got good results the last couple of days, but it’s definitely been something that’s weighing him down a little bit. I feel like I have to give him a day here. But it’s weighing him down.
“He’ll be available off the bench, but it’s something that’s just kind of wearing him down,” Boone added. “He just can’t move like he’d like. He’s dealing with some pain in there. He’s not able to do the level of exercises that he usually does to be able to prepare himself to play every day. So we’ll see.”
Rizzo hit his 30th home run of the season Tuesday night, but in the dugout between innings, he was wearing a large wrap with infrared heat on his lower back.
Rizzo, 33, missed four games in July and five in August with a lower back issue which he said he had gotten once a season over the last few years of his career.
“I think we have a good plan in place moving forward that we’re confident that we can get it corrected,” Boone said.
That could include Rizzo missing a few games in a row.
“That could be something that we do,” Boone said. “We have a couple of days, but we’ll get there. It’s not going to be an IL situation.”
NEXT FOR NESTOR
Nestor Cortes came through his bullpen session fine on Wednesday. It was his first time throwing off the mound since Aug. 25 when the left-hander went on the injured list with a strained left groin, but he and the Yankees are hopeful it will be limited to just the 15 days.
Cortes is expected to throw a live batting practice session on Saturday at the Yankees player development complex while the team is in town to play the Rays.
A first-time All-Star, Cortes has arguably been the Yankees’ most reliable starter this season.
SEVERINO STARTING
Luis Severino, who has been on the injured list since July 14, will make his first minor league rehab start on Friday night for the low Class-A Tampa Tarpons. Severino was diagnosed with what the team said was a “mild” lat strain, but two weeks later was placed on the 60-day IL. The right-hander was not happy about it and said he felt fine, but it allowed the Yankees to slow down his return and manage their 40-man roster after the trade deadline.
Severino missed most of the last three seasons with a lat strain and then Tommy John surgery. The right-hander could be back in the middle of next month.
