Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton could be ready for games late next week

NEW YORK — Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is expected to be cleared to play by the end of next week, though the team has not yet decided whether he will embark on a minor league rehab mission from an injury.

Stanton tore his left hamstring while running the bases on June 22, landing on the injured list for the eighth time in six years.

“I just got to pile on a couple more days, good days,” Stanton said Saturday before a 9-1 loss to Tampa Bay. “If I get a couple good days this week, make a decision by the end of next week.”

He missed his 21st game of the season, after missing 266 of 708 games (38%) in the previous five seasons.

“It’s all about endurance, building it up every day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he’s feeling really good, but when he gets that volume down to where he comes back, he’s ready to roll. So yeah, now it’s just about piling on the days and getting it together.”

Boone was unsure whether a rehabilitation order would be necessary.

“The level of things you can replicate now really speeds up that clock,” he said. “And because you’re not necessarily building endurance by being on the field for nine innings, it’s a little gray.”

Stanton has played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games — none in the field — and is hitting .246 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs. New York is 7-14 in his absence.

“It just sucks to be out there and not be able to help the team at all, let alone in a bad period,” Stanton said.

Right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt threw his first bullpen session Saturday since injuring his right lat on May 26. Schmidt is expected back in late August or early September.

“Another good step for him,” Boone said.

Right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker will be out of action for the next three to four weeks after pulling an oblique muscle July 11 at Triple-A Scranton while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in April 2023.

Scott Effross is also with Scranton recovering from Tommy John surgery in October 2022. He has made 10 minor league appearances, including eight in Triple-A.

“I still want to see him get to the level he was at before the injury,” Boone said. “I don’t feel like he’s that far off.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB