Didi on his way back

After spending a long time on the Disabled List, or Injured List as it is called nowadays, due to Tommy John surgery, Didi Gregorius played his first game yesterday.

Gregorius, who throws right handed, is coming back from surgery to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

At the Spring Training complex at Tampa, Didi played five innings in an extended Spring Training game. With managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner in attendance, Gregorius went 2-for-4 with a walk against a team of Tigers Minor Leaguers. He singled twice and cleanly fielded three grounders but also committed an error while throwing to first base.

“He got a lot of at-bats, got a couple balls. He threw a ball away, so his arm was feeling a little too good, I guess,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said before his team faced the Orioles in Baltimore. “But he got through it. A hot day down there. A couple more days down there and then, hopefully, get transferred over to the Tarpons. But a big step, obviously, in the return for Didi.”

Didi will be scheduled as an DH tonight. He is expected to be transferred to the roster of the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees’ A-Advanced affiliate that plays at Steinbrenner Field.

Currently, Didi is ahead of schedule. If things continue like they are going, he is expected to be back with the Yankees somewhere mid June. Since Didi is a notorious slow starter, it may take a while before he is hitting like he did in 2017 when he hit .287, his best full season average so far.