Sonny Gray confident he can get back on track for Yankees
BALTIMORE — Sonny Gray wouldn’t categorize his start Wednesday as a “big” one.
“I think it’s another start that I’m going to go out there and try to win,” he said Tuesday. “Anything else I think is pretty irrelevant for me to think of.”
While for the moment Gray’s rotation spot doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy, no one believes the righthander can continue on the same path he’s on and stay in the rotation indefinitely.
Gray enters Wednesday 5-7 with a 5.85 ERA and having allowed five, six and four runs in his last three starts. Gray, who has been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on some slight mechanical adjustments, has failed to get through three innings in each of his last two starts.
“Working on trying to drive the ball through the zone and to go out there with a good mindset,” Gray said. “We’re just working through it and hopefully can produce some results.”
The 28-year-old, who is 9-14 with a 4.92 ERA as a Yankee, is confident he will.
“I’ve struggled in the past at times and I’ve responded,” Gray said. “I’m comfortable in my own skin. I’m not going to hold my head down. I’m going to walk around with my head up high and I’m going to figure it out.”
Sanchez, Torres progress
Gary Sanchez (right groin strain) ran on the field four hours before Monday night’s game and showed no signs of discomfort. He then did agility work in the outfield with catching coach Jason Brown and later took full batting practice with the rest of the team.
“I would say he’s very much getting close,” Boone said of a rehab assignment.
Sanchez remains on schedule to be activated immediately after the All-Star break.
Gleyber Torres (right hip strain) also took the next step in his rehab, doing tee-and-toss drills inside and playing catch on the field, his first baseball activities.
“They were waiting until he didn’t feel anything before he started ramping back up,” Boone said. “Now that that feeling’s out of there when he does basic exercises, he’ll start ramping up his baseball activities this week and hopefully be on a similar timeline that Gary’s on.”
Seigler sidelined
Catcher Anthony Seigler, the Yankees first-round draft pick who got off to a blazing start in rookie ball with the GCL Yankees, has not played in a week because of a “minor hamstring issue,” according to senior director of player development Kevin Reese. Seigler, 19, was 8-for-21 (.381) with a .976 OPS in his first seven games.