Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson nearing rehab assignments

If all goes according to plan, Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson will play in rehab games this weekend after sustaining hamstring injuries earlier this season.

Donaldson is actually expected to begin his assignment at Triple-A on Thursday, on the condition that all went well with the third baseman on Wednesday. The plan is for him to play in the field on Thursday and Sunday, DH on Friday and get a day off Saturday, according to Aaron Boone.

The manager added that Donaldson, out since April 5, could rejoin the Yankees on their upcoming West Coast trip. It’s possible he returns during the first leg of that trip in Seattle, though Boone called the second part, in Los Angeles, “more likely.”

“We’ll kind of evaluate at the end of Sunday, assuming we get there and everything’s going well,” the skipper said. Boone added Tuesday that he expects Donaldson to be an everyday player when he returns.

Stanton, meanwhile, will have imaging done on Thursday. If that comes back clean, Boone said it’s “possible” the slugger begins his assignment as soon as this weekend.

“We’ll see where the progress [is],” Boone said. “If it matches up with how he’s doing, that’s something that could be in play more imminently.”

Boone also said he still plans on having Stanton play some outfield once he’s back. Stanton, meanwhile, wasn’t sure how many rehab games he’ll need. For now, he’s just hoping for positive results on Thursday.

“Once we get that clear image, it’s go time,” Stanton, out since April 15, said. “Go one step at a time, but we’ll see.”

Michael King looked sharp while pitching the last two innings of the Yankees’ Tuesday win, but he did have one errant throw.

That came when the reliever ditched his malfunctioning PitchCom. King tried to toss the device into the Yankees’ dugout, but it sailed and ended up in the hands of a fan in the stands.

“It kind of took off like a frisbee and I saw it floating,” King said. “And then I saw it almost hit a fan. And then apparently they were hitting the button. Luckily it wasn’t working.”

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The poor throw led to some laughs, and also an explanation as to why King is the only Yankees pitcher who calls his own game.

King said that, since he has two fastballs, it’s more convenient for him to call which one he wants, rather than shaking off his catcher multiple times. That also saves time, which is now precious on the mound.

“It’s easier for me to get on the same page as a catcher that way, instead of me having to shake off a bunch and kind of going through all my pitches until he goes back to what he almost originally called. Makes it a little bit quicker, and obviously with the pitch clock, it’s harder that way.”

Two former Yankees received news on Wednesday, though only one heard the good variety.

That was Ben Heller, who pitched for the club from 2016-2020 after being acquired in the Andrew Miller-Clint Frazier trade. The Rays promoted the right-hander from Triple-A, giving Heller a chance to pitch in the majors for the first time since 2020.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, moved Corey Kluber from their rotation to their bullpen, manager Alex Cora announced during a radio appearance on WEEI’s The Gresh & Fauria Show. A two-time Cy Young winner in Cleveland, Kluber spent the 2021 season in pinstripes and threw a no-hitter with the Yankees.

He had a 6.26 ERA over his first nine starts for Boston after signing there over the offseason.