Sanchez hopes to return this weekend vs. Jays

BALTIMORE -- The Gary Sanchez rehab express is chugging along, and a return could come as soon as this weekend in Toronto, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Monday.

First, Sanchez -- who hasn’t appeared in a game since July 23 with a left groin strain -- will take part in a pair of rehab games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday and Thursday. The plan is for Sanchez to catch both games, and if all goes well, to return to the active roster at some point during the series against the Blue Jays.

“Hopefully [he] travels to us in Toronto and [is] an active player for the weekend,” Boone said.

Sanchez was with the team in Baltimore on Monday. As the Camden Yards grounds crew was dismantling the batting practice cage, he took some throws from behind the plate to second base and the outfield.

Sanchez’s pair of rehab games will come in Scranton during a three-game series against the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the White Sox.

Severino heading to mound Friday

As Sanchez potentially makes his return Friday, Luis Severino could be taking a big step that day as well.

The righty long tossed in the Camden Yards outfield on Monday and plans to do the same on Wednesday, Boone said. Assuming there are no hiccups along the way, he could throw off the mound during a side session for the first time at Rogers Centre on Friday.

“He’s got one more long toss flat ground session [like] he did today again. That’ll be, I think, Wednesday,” Boone said. “If that goes well, hopefully Friday when we’re in Toronto will be his first side.”

Severino has not appeared in a game this season after the 2018 All-Star was initially sidelined with right rotator cuff inflammation in early March before an MRI on April 9 revealed a Grade 2 strain of his right latissimus muscle.

Whether he ultimately returns in a starting or bullpen role remains to be seen.

CC throwing in Baltimore, too

Also throwing in the Camden Yards outfield on Monday was CC Sabathia, who is sidelined with inflammation in his right knee. How he comes out of that session will determine the next steps for the 39-year-old, who last appeared in a game on July 27.

“I’ll see how that went, see how he comes out of that,” Boone said. “I assume everything was good and then we’ll start to put a plan moving forward from that. If he responds well to that, hopefully it’s pretty good till we see him.”

No more worry for Didi

Any concern for the strain in Didi Gregorius’ left fingers has been eradicated, Boone said.

Gregorius had been dealing with a strain between his left ring and pinky fingers, which he sustained during last Wednesday’s win over the D-backs, causing him to miss three games.

Two of those games came via Saturday’s doubleheader with the Red Sox. But the indication for Boone that their shortstop was all clear came in the downtime between the pair of wins over Boston, when Gregorius fielded ground balls without pain.

“We became encouraged on Saturday, when in between games he went out and took his ground balls,” Boone said. “[He] hit a lot in the cage that day and then yesterday checking with him before the game, felt good to go. After the game he said, yeah he was good, so pretty encouraged about where he was considering where he could have been that first day struggling to grip the bat.”