CHICAGO — Carlos Lagrange may still be a lengthy shot to influence the Yankees this season — assuming he is not traded in the next week — but his progress from a shoulder harm has at least saved the door open.
The prime pitching prospect, who was identified with a capsular sprain of the proper shoulder July 3, has resumed throwing on flat floor after about a four-week shutdown — two weeks shorter than the club initially estimated for him.
The 23-year-old Lagrange, who was in the midst of a transition from starter to reliever in hopes of serving to the Yankees bullpen in the second half, still has a methods to go to even probably make himself an possibility. But the earlier-than-expected return to throwing at least retains the chance in play for the time being.
“We’ll see,” supervisor Aaron Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the White Sox when requested if he expected Lagrange to become a consideration at some level this season. “He has started throwing again, so you never know for sure. But we’ll just listen to his arm and body and hopefully, as he starts his throwing progression, things go well and he puts himself in position to be in the conversation. But impossible to know right now.”
On Tuesday, Lagrange posted video to social media of himself throwing, though Boone said he really began throwing “a handful of days ago.” Lagrange last pitched at Triple-A on June 28, with the shoulder analysis coming a few days later.
Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange delivers a pitch during a spring coaching outing earlier this season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Yankees are still expected to add a high-leverage reliever or two before Monday’s commerce deadline, but if Lagrange is not used in a bundle to make that occur, his rehab course of will be value monitoring to see if he can become a wild card late in the season.
One of these bullpen targets the Yankees are believed to be pursuing is Padres stud nearer Mason Miller.
It stays to be seen whether the Padres will really make him accessible, but Boone was requested for his ideas on the hard-throwing righty.
“Feels like a speculative question cloaked in an opinion on a player,” he said with a grin. “Look, obviously he’s one of the game’s great closers and has been now for a few years. Tremendous stuff. I don’t even know if he’ll be moved or not. He’s probably as good as is out there right now in that role.”
The Yankees signed veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal Tuesday and added him to the roster at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for depth.
The 34-year-old, who has performed 427 profession massive league video games, had been at Triple-A for the Cubs this season, batting .262 with a .775 OPS in 59 video games.
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