ST. PETERSBURG -- When Gleyber Torres was struck near the right elbow by the first pitch from Casey Sadler in the eighth inning Friday night, the Yankees shortstop naturally flashed back to the freak 2017 injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery on his other elbow.

"I always remember my injury," he said Saturday. "It [wasn't] easy, and I don't want to go back to that situation."

Torres and the Yankees breathed a sigh of relief when Friday night's X-rays came back negative, allowing him to return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Torres admitted to being "a little sore" following pregame batting practice, but he quickly added that the discomfort was no different than what he'd feel after any other hit-by-pitch.

"We felt pretty good about it [Friday] night, thinking it was going to be a bruise situation," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, "but you're always kind of anxiously waiting to see how it reacts in the middle of the night."

Torres sustained a tear to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left, non-throwing arm in June 2017 while sliding headfirst into home plate during a Triple-A game.

Walking wounded
• Because New York's weekend series takes place just a half hour south of its Spring Training and workout complex, many of the rehabbing Yankees took advantage of the opportunity to pop in the clubhouse and reconnect with their teammates. Troy Tulowitzki hasn't been with the team as long as many, but the veteran shortstop (left calf strain) was still warmly greeted Saturday upon his arrival at Tropicana Field.

Tulowitzki is ready to begin hitting again and will start taking ground balls next week, according to Boone.

"He's been one of those guys that, in a short time here, I think had an impact on guys, become a part of the team," Boone added. "So this [injury] obviously is a bit tough for him, just having some setbacks and things like that, but hopefully, he'll start to ramp it up next week and get his way back."

• Aaron Hicks (back discomfort) played seven innings in center field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday and finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hicks reported no problems and is on track to be activated Monday.

• Giancarlo Stanton (left biceps strain) hit and got in some defensive work at New York's workout facilities on Friday in Tampa. Boone said reports were positive afterward, and that the outfielder was slated to repeat the process Saturday.

This date in Yankees history
May 11, 2006: Hideki Matsui fractured his left wrist and left in the first inning against the Red Sox, ending his consecutive-games-played streak at 1,768 (1,250 with Yomiuri Giants, 518 with Yankees). His streak was New York's longest since Lou Gehrig played 2,130.