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Yankees’ Tommy Kahnle is ‘a little behind’ with Opening Day in question

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Social Links for Greg Joyce
Published March 4, 2024, 11:08 p.m. ET

JUPITER, Fla. — For the second straight year, Tommy Kahnle’s availability for Opening Day is in question.

The Yankees are building up the reliever’s workload slower in spring training because of the right shoulder inflammation that ended his season early last September.

Kahnle has been throwing bullpen sessions, according to Aaron Boone, but has yet to throw live batting practice or appear in a Grapefruit League game.

“Tommy’s a little behind,” Boone said before the Yankees played the Marlins on Monday night at Roger Dean Stadium. “He probably won’t be in a game till more towards the end of spring.”

Tommy Kahnle running sprints on the field at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees Spring training complex in Tampa Florida.
Tommy Kahnle running sprints on the field at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees Spring training complex in Tampa Florida. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Asked if Kahnle would be ready in time for Opening Day, Boone was noncommittal.

“We’ll see,” he said. “I think he’ll be ready, but it’s a matter of do we want him to have more games under his belt? That’s what we’ll decide.”

Kahnle started last season on the injured list because of right biceps tendinitis, which he sustained in spring training and delayed his season debut until June 2.

The 34-year-old, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract entering the 2023 season, pitched to a 2.66 ERA across 42 appearances and 40 ²/₃ innings before going back on the IL in late September.

If Kahnle is not ready to start the season on time, it would put another bullpen spot up for grabs.

There was already at least one open spot with Scott Effross starting the season on the IL because of offseason back surgery, with Nick Burdi, Ron Marinaccio (who has struggled early in games) and Nick Ramirez among those in contention to claim a spot.

Fellow relievers Clay Holmes and Jonathan Loaisiga have also yet to make their Grapefruit League debuts, but Holmes will do so on Tuesday against the Mets while Loaisiga is set to pitch in a game later this week.

Oswald Peraza (shoulder tightness) made the trip with the Yankees and is scheduled to start at second base Tuesday against the Mets, which will come a week after he was initially scratched from a game.

Boone had said Friday that Peraza was still experiencing some “pinching” in his shoulder after going through workouts, but that has apparently subsided to allow the infielder — battling for a bench spot — to get back into games.

“He’s good to go now,” Boone said.

Boone texted Josh Donaldson on Monday after the veteran third baseman announced his retirement. Donaldson struggled mightily during his two seasons with the Yankees, but Boone credited Donaldson for how he went about his work.

“Obviously it didn’t go anywhere close to how he wanted it to or how we wanted it to necessarily, just from injury and performance,” Boone said. “But I respect the person and player. He worked his [butt] off. He wanted it bad. He just kept getting tripped up, whether it was injury or whatever it may have been with us where he wasn’t able to recapture what he’s been throughout his career. I respect to the very end he was grinding away at it.”