Gary Sanchez is expected to play in a minor league rehab game Monday, with the idea that if all goes well, he will meet the team in Anaheim, Calif., on Tuesday and be available to play against the Angels on Wednesday.
They were still looking for the most convenient place for Sanchez to play Monday.
Sanchez has been out since April 11 and is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Sunday, but since there are no minor league games on Sunday, he will have to play Monday to make sure he’s over the left calf strain that has sidelined him.
Giancarlo Stanton (biceps) isn’t sure when he’ll begin taking batting practice outside, saying he needs to be 100 percent and he’s “not there yet.”
Clint Frazier has been among the beneficiaries of the Yankees’ injury problems and he continued to take advantage of his opportunity in Saturday’s 9-2 win over the Royals.
The left fielder had three more hits, including his fifth homer.
“I’m trying to make it a tough decision whenever some of those [injured] guys do come back,’’ said Frazier, now 9-for-20 with three runs, two doubles and two homers in his past five games. “I think I’ve done that.”
Mike Tauchman also homered on Saturday, his third home run in four games.
Brett Gardner wasn’t in the lineup after his key home run in Friday night’s win. Manager Aaron Boone pointed to the schedule, with the Yankees in the midst of playing 13 days in a row and 15 out of 16.
“You try to get guys [days off],’’ Boone said.
Boone also said he wanted to get Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu some rest, as well and had planned on having Aaron Judge DH once or twice on the upcoming Western trip before Judge left Saturday’s game with a left oblique injury.
“We’ve had so many injuries that we’re leaning on guys, but you’re still mindful of the fact it is a long haul and pick our spots [to get days off],’’ Boone said.
Luke Voit has reached base in 31 straight games after a third-inning single Saturday. It’s the longest streak in the majors and the most by a Yankee since Judge’s 32-game stretch in 2017.
“It’s one of the things we identified we liked with him from the get-go: his ability to control the strike zone,’’ Boone said before the game. “Especially finding his way early in the season, he’s hit a lot of balls hard. Controlling the zone allows him to have competitive at-bats when he’s finding his way.”
In 20 games this season, Voit still doesn’t have a multi-hit game.
LeMahieu, red hot to start the season, was hitless in 15 at-bats before he homered in the fourth. It was LeMahieu’s first home run of the season. And it followed a homer by Tauchman, giving the Yankees their first back-to-back blasts of the year.