While the Yankees got bad news on Andrew Benintendi this weekend, they did get some good news on trade deadline acquisition Harrison Bader.
According to manager Aaron Boone, Bader did a pregame workout in the outfield prior to Monday’s game against Minnesota, and if he continues to progress, he could start a rehab assignment next week, if not sooner.
“Harrison’s doing well, and this will be an important week for him in that he’ll do full pregame outfield work, final running progression, continuing to hit,” Boone said. “If all goes well there, could start a rehab. We have him targeted for the 13th, which is next Tuesday, but we could even move that up if this week continues to look like what we hope.”
Bader has not played since June 26 due to plantar fasciitis, but even a rehab starting on Sept. 13 would have him back before the end of the regular season, as his 20-day clock would expire on Oct. 2 – and he believes he’ll be ready when called upon.
“I think I’ll be 100 percent ready to compete,” Bader told the media Monday. “Whatever I can squeeze out of that is where I’ll be. Trying to return to a version of myself that I thought I was prior to this injury, it’s not real. It’s in your head and in many ways it holds you back. It’s a clean slate. Go out there and soak up as much as I can and play winning baseball. That’s all that matters.”
Bader's return will hopefully quell the Yankees' fan base's continued dismay at the trade that brought him to New York for Jordan Montgomery, who is 5-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his first six starts as a Cardinal.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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