When Brett Gardner underwent surgery on his right elbow in late July, it was thought that he would miss the rest of the season. However, it’s now possible that he could rejoin the Yankees down the stretch, albeit in a limited capacity.
Gardner participated in bunting drills on the field and ran the bases this afternoon at Yankee Stadium, after which Yankees manager Joe Girardi told Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York that the speedy outfielder could be activated as a pinch-runner.
Gardner is scheduled to run the bases again tomorrow before being re-evaluated, but his speed would come in for the Bombers, who currently rank 26th in the majors with 73 stolen bases. Gardner tied for the American League lead with 49 stolen bases last year and had 47 in 2010.
