Timeline for Giancarlo Stanton’s Yankees comeback is in focus

Giancarlo Stanton’s rehabilitation mission on his return from a strained left hamstring won’t begin this weekend, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone says the injury is improving after the outfielder/DH suffered a CT scan on Thursday.

“It’s a healing, kind of like we expected,” Boone said after the Yankees lost to the Orioles, 3-1, in the Bronx.

Boone said the injury was “almost” completely healed and the rehab mission could begin “hopefully early next week”. Stanton has been out since April, as has third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has a strained right hamstring.

Donaldson began rehab Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He went 1 for 3 in six innings at third base.

This is Donaldson’s second rehab assignment since he was placed on the injured list in early April. The first was cut short after Donaldson modified his hamstrings.

The latter should last through the weekend at least before the Yankees reevaluate his status and decide if he could join them on their next trip, either to Seattle (Monday-Wednesday) or Los Angeles (Friday-Sunday). ).

Tommy Kahnle (biceps tendonitis) also had his rehab assignment moved to SWB on Thursday, when the right-hander scored in a scoreless inning on his third rehab outing.

He’s been out since spring training and should need at least one more rehab outing before the Yankees are ready to bring him back. The earliest he is eligible to exit the 60-day IL is Monday.

With Jose Trevino still out with a strained left hamstring, Ben Rortvedt got his second start at receiver since being recalled from SWB.

“He played really well,” Boone said before the game. “We are happy with the way he has integrated [with the pitching staff].”

Rortvedt made his only two plate appearances and was struck out for fellow left-handed swinger, pincher Jake Bauers, in the eighth.

Boone said Trevino was doing “pretty well” in his recovery and started racing, although no return date has been set.

Kyle Higashioka is in a 1-for-15 funk in which he has eight strikeouts, so it’s no surprise Rortvedt started. In his other start, at Cincinnati, Rortvedt had a pair of hits, including a double.

Carlos Rodon pitched again Thursday, but there is no known schedule for his Yankees debut.

Boone said the southpaw, who was sidelined with back pain after suffering a sprained elbow in spring training, could start throwing a mound this week, according to Boone.

More immediately, Randy Vasquez is set to start what would be his MLB debut on Friday, replacing suspended German Domingo, who is set to return to rotation Monday in Seattle.

Boone said German, who is serving a 10-game ban for violating MLB sticky substance rules, hosted a mock game in Tampa on Wednesday.

Vasquez’s use allows the Yankees to fend off Luis Severino by a day, with Gerrit Cole starting Sunday.

After the game, the Yankees offered reliever Nick Ramirez to Triple-A to make room for Vazquez. Ramirez allowed a hit and fielded an error in the third inning Thursday.

The Yankees’ left field situation is murkier than ever.

Greg Allen was the fifth player to start left in the team’s last seven games, along with Bauers, Aaron Hicks (who has since been designated for the assignment), Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswaldo Cabrera.

As for Hicks’ move, team president Randy Levine said, “It shows that Hal Steinbrenner listened to his baseball people and their recommendation. The priority is to put the best team on the field and take care of the money, that’s my job.

Hicks has yet to clear waivers to become a free agent, so it’s unclear where he might land.

“He’s not the first player to come to New York and he hasn’t been as successful as he would have liked and he won’t be the last,” Levine said.

Mayor Eric Adams was at Yankee Stadium on Thursday to introduce legislation that will allow New York City sports venues to hold charity raffles at professional or college sports competitions, including at the stadium and Citi Field, as well as at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. Levine said he hopes it will be signed into law by July.