Josh Donaldson returned to Yankee Stadium Wednesday, but not to rejoin the Yankees’ active roster.
The third baseman felt tightness in his hamstring again Tuesday night while playing in a rehab game for Double-A Somerset. Donaldson noticed the injury, which landed him on the injured list on April 8, while making a throw early in the game. The veteran played long enough to receive three at-bats — he picked up a hit — but he wasn’t happy with his ability to run.
“I was able to stay in and kind of manage it,” Donaldson said. “But it was one of those ordeals where there were probably things that I would have liked to feel better about.”
Donaldson has since undergone an MRI, and Wednesday involved treatment and testing, the results of which he called “relatively good.” Donaldson doesn’t know when his next rehab game will be or what his next steps are, but he hopes to have a better idea on Thursday or Friday.
The 37-year-old Donaldson appeared in five major league games before getting hurt. He had one home run and .125 average before hitting the shelf.
Donaldson and Aaron Boone wondered if Tuesday’s chilly weather had a negative impact on his hamstring after Donaldson had some warmer days to work with when he began ramping up baseball activities in the Bronx recently.
“He felt a little tightness early in the game, but he was able to play the game,” Boone said. “It didn’t help at all being as cold as it was yesterday.”
While Donaldson initially hoped to be activated Wednesday, he still believes that his hamstring injury is “not anything major at this point.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” he said. “Everything was progressing really nice. Obviously, I’m bummed out that I felt like it was gonna be any day now. But just kind of take it day by day and hopefully, this gets ironed out.”
RODON’S TESTS
Carlos Rodon, initially sidelined with a forearm strain early in spring training, had tests performed on his “barking” back Wednesday, according to Boone. The southpaw has been dealing with tightness.
Boone said that initial tests came back “normal,” though the manager was still waiting on some results by the time he spoke to reporters Wednesday.
“I do think it’s just kind of a minor, nagging thing,” Boone said.
FIRST PITCH
Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched for the Yankees from 2012-2014 before resuming his Japanese career, threw out the ceremonial first before Wednesday’s game against the Angels. Kuroda, who now works with professional teams in his home country, was in New York on a personal visit. He said he has “fond memories” of the Bronx.
For those wondering, Kuroda has no personal relationship with Angels star and impending free agent Shohei Ohtani, though they did face each other in Japan. They didn’t get a chance to interact Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
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