Marcus

Stroman

Stroman struck out four and threw 55 pitches (34 strikes) in his second rehab outing. The 34-year-old veteran figures to be an option for New York’s pitching staff at some point in the next few weeks, but it’s a bit unclear what his exact role will wind up being.

Stroman punched out six batters, issued two walks and threw 46 pitches (27 strikes) in his rehab debut. He was sitting in the 89-mph range with his sinker, according to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty. The 34-year-old veteran righty is aiming to rejoin New York’s rotation mix at some point in the coming weeks as he wraps up his rehabilitation process from knee inflammation.

The veteran has been on the IL with knee inflammation since April 12, so this rehab stint will likely be a lengthy one. Depending on the timeline for fellow starter Luis Gil’s return from his lat injury, there may not be a spot in the rotation for Stroman by the time he’s healthy.

It’s the first time Stroman has faced hitters since suffering a setback earlier this month with his left knee. The 34-year-old has been out since mid-April due to knee inflammation, so it’s encouraging that he’s progressed to facing hitters again, which is usually the final step before starting a rehab assignment.

The veteran is still experiencing discomfort in his knee after throwing a live batting practice session on Friday. Until he can throw without pain, there is no timeline for his return to the Yankees rotation.

Stroman has been on the shelf since mid-April due to left knee inflammation, which required a cortisone injection. The 34-year-old righty is likely a couple weeks away from a minor league rehab assignment, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him back until sometime in June.

It certainly doesn’t sound like Stroman is close to making it back to New York’s rotation mix at any point in the near future. The 33-year-old righty received a cortisone injection a couple weeks ago after landing on the shelf with left knee inflammation and has yet to resume throwing off a mound. It’s looking like he’ll be out until sometime around midseason.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters he’s hopeful Stroman isn’t facing an extended absence. The 33-year-old hit the injured list earlier this weekend with left knee inflammation. He’ll presumably be cleared to resume throwing at some point next week once the swelling subsides. He should make it back to New York’s rotation mix at some point in May, barring any setbacks.

Stroman’s stuff remains in decline, and it’s probably not due to the knee. He’ll get some time off and then the Yankees will figure out whether it’s worth trying to mix him back in or not. This means both Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren figure to remain in the rotation following Clarke Schmidt’s return next week.

Boone did say that Stroman was meeting with team doctors, but that was it. The right-hander was shelled before leaving with knee trouble Friday, and Boone was unsure if Stroman would need to head to the injured list. It seems unlikely that the 33-year-old will be able to make his next start, at the very least.