Two Yankees bullpen pieces, Ryan Yarbrough and Fernando Cruz, are closing in on returns from oblique injuries, with rehab sessions kicking off this week. Cruz threw 19 pitches in a live Double-A Somerset session, while Yarbrough advanced to two live-ups. Both are slated to begin rehab on Thursday, with Cruz possibly joining after a sequence of rehab starts and Yarbrough's usage depending on how he is built up and rotation needs. The move would add a much-needed boost to a relief corps that has felt the pinch from bullpen depth injuries.

Around the same time, Giancarlo Stanton logged field work in right, and Aaron Judge continued progress in his throwing program, though not yet expected to return for the Twins series. Oswaldo Cabrera, sidelined by a gruesome left ankle fracture and ligament damage since May, walked the clubhouse and provided a tempered outlook; his recovery remains murky. Cabrera slashed .243/.322/.308 with one homer and 11 RBI in 34 games this season, while Cruz sits at a 3.00 ERA across 32 games with a remarkable 41.2% strikeout rate. Yarbrough has struggled to a 3.90 ERA in 16 games, a reminder that his rehab timing will shape how the Yankees handle rotation and bullpen roles as Judge and Stanton push toward field readiness.