Many Yankees staff members (including manager Aaron Boone) and players have left Tampa for home to wait out the coronavirus pause, but some players (including DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton) remain.
On Wednesday, Boone -- who said he has been checking in regularly with GM Brian Cashman -- spoke to Yankees beat reporters to provide updates on what's been going on in Tampa and elsewhere...
An update on Aaron Judge
Judge, who is recovering from multiple related injuries, is still in "the healing phase" when it comes to his cracked rib and will be re-evaluated in a few weeks.
Like Giancarlo Stanton, the expectation is that Judge will be ready to go when the regular season starts no earlier than May 10.
A catch with Gerrit Cole
Boone, who went home to Connecticut last week, said that he plans to have a catch with Gerrit Cole on Wednesday. Cole recently bought a house near Boone, meaning the two can easily have a catch while socially distancing.
Aaron Hicks takes another step toward return
Hicks, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, has started his throwing program. With TJS recovery typically much shorter for position players than pitchers, the expectation since last season has been that Hicks would return at some point during the 2020 season -- and he took a big step toward that return this week.
Yankees minor leaguers will be out of quarantine soon
Ever since the first Yankees minor leaguer tested positive for coronavirus, the minor leaguers have all been in quarantine. A second minor leaguer tested positive last week.
The expectation, according to Boone, is that all Yankees minor leaguers will be released from quarantine on Wednesday except for the second minor leaguer who tested positive.
The players are being encouraged to travel home if they are able to.