Yankees have help on the way: Donaldson, Stanton near injury rehab assignments

New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson will start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment on Thursday and slugger Giancarlo Stanton could begin one as soon as this weekend.

New York manager Aaron Boone said Donaldson, sidelined since April 5 by a strained right hamstring, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Thursday. His first rehab assignment was cut short after one game with Double-A Somerset on April 18.

The Yankees entered Wednesday having won five straight games and eight of their last 10.

Boone said Donaldson likely will play the field on Thursday, be a designated hitter Friday, be off Saturday and play Sunday.

New York opens a three-game series in Seattle on Monday, then plays at the Los Angeles Dodgers starting June 2.

“Possibly in Seattle, probably more likely later in the week, just because he’s been down for so long,” Boone said of Donaldson’s return, speaking before Wednesday’s game against Baltimore. “We’ll kind of evaluate at the end of Sunday, assuming we get there and everything is going well, whether we want to have him get another one or two (games) or not.”

Stanton has been sidelined since April 15 by a strained left hamstring.

“We’re going to get him imaged tomorrow.,” Boone said, adding it is possible he could head to the minors this weekend.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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