PHILADELPHIA _ Masahiro Tanaka threw another encouraging bullpen session Tuesday and the next step is figuring out if he'll pitch in a simulated game or have minor-league rehab start, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
That should be figured out in the next 24 hours, Boone said.
Tanaka has been out since June 8 with injuries to both of his hamstrings. When the pitcher went down, Yankees GM Brian Cashman pegged his return timetable as a month.
"Everything went really well," Boone said. "We're not sure if we'll do a sim game or a rehab game, but it'll be hopefully sometime later this week."
Asked if Tanaka could come back after just this one rehab outing, Boone replied: "It's possible."
Also on the starting rotation front, the team is in the process of finalizing its rotation for the Red Sox series that starts on Friday. It is expected to be CC Sabathia (Friday), Sonny Gray (Saturday) and Luis Severino (Sunday).
That could change if the Bombers need Wednesday's probable starter, Luis Cessa, out of the bullpen in case of emergency on Tuesday. The Yankees have Giovanny Gallegos as their long man as well.
"He will be in the bullpen as an option just because he's someone who can give us length," Boone said of Cessa. "There are still probably a couple guys now that we'd stay away from downtown, so Cessa protects us in certain situations. If he doesn't go tonight, he will be the starter tomorrow."
As for Severino, who is starting Tuesday against Jake Arrieta and going Sunday on regular rest, Boone said: "Yeah, he would be a candidate. I'm not ready to say (he will) yet. We'll get through today and see where we're at and see the kind of workload. So I would say it's a possibility. That's all I'll say now."
