NEW YORK -- After being sidelined since June 25 with a strained right groin, catcher Gary Sanchez has been activated off the 10-day disabled list and was back in pinstripes to open the second half of the season Friday -- with second baseman Gleyber Torres not much further behind.
According to manager Aaron Boone, Torres will begin his rehab assignment in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday. Boone said the plan likely will be for the rookie to play in two games and DH in another before rejoining the Yankees on Wednesday for the third game of a series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
"When [Sanchez is] right, he's a true impact hitter, obviously," Boone said before the series opener against the Mets. "[I'm] excited to get that back into the middle of our lineup and really the ability to add length to our lineup. With Gleyber on the horizon now, too, getting ready to start his rehab, you add a couple of guys of their caliber to our lineup -- while we've continued to produce [without them] -- we think the depth of our lineup with those guys has a chance to be special."
Sanchez -- who went 1-for-5 with a run scored Friday in the Yankees' 7-5 loss to the Mets -- has struggled this season, slashing .191/.289/.428 with 14 home runs in 64 games. In three rehab games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he went 2-for-12 (.167), though the two hits were home runs.
"Definitely you want to improve in everything," Sanchez said. "I want to improve my defense, I want to be more selective at the plate, there's always room to improve."
"I think sometimes we've seen him a little bit in the first half where he gets a little swing happy," Boone said. "When you struggle a little bit, you chase those hits. I just want him to go up there and have good at-bats, control the at-bat and if he's doing that, he's elite. ... Go have a good at-bat, and because he's Gary Sanchez and the talent that he has, the results over time will follow for him."
The Yankees continued to add depth to their lineup on Friday, recalling third baseman Brandon Drury from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Drury has been bouncing between the Majors and Triple-A this season, slashing .294/.403/.447 while driving in 30 runs in 55 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With the Yankees sporting a three-man bench, Boone said Drury provides the most versatility the team needs to start the second half.
"Obviously his ability to play third, we can play him at first, he could be a DH in here, so I think his versatility works for him a little bit," Boone said. "Again, even though it's been a difficult season for him circumstance-wise, we still understand we have a really good player. ... I feel like he gives us the best option right now as one of our 25."
Injury report
• Outfielder Clint Frazier is back into the concussion protocol after diving for a ball in a Triple-A game. He has been placed on the RailRiders' 7-day disabled list.
"We'll get him with our doctors and just try to get as many answers as we can for him and for us and try to help him the best we can moving forward," Boone said. "Hopefully it's something that's short term. A lot of unknowns obviously that come with this, so hopefully we can just help him get right and get better, but right now I don't know what that means."
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has yet to begin participating in any baseball activity.
"I think we hold out hope that he could get back at some point [this season]," Boone said. "I don't think we close that door yet. When that is, I'm not quite sure."
This date in Yankees history
July 20, 1965: Yankees pitcher Mel Stottlemyre hit an inside-the-park grand slam against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium en route to a 6-3 win. He is one of four Yankees pitchers to hit a grand slam, along with Don Larsen (1956), Spud Chandler (1940) and Red Ruffing (1933).