TAMPA — Aaron Boone hoped Tommy Kahnle’s biceps tendinitis wouldn’t jeopardize his availability to start the regular season in time.
The Yankees reliever looked less certain on Monday.
“We’ll see what happens,” Kahnle said before the Yankees beat the Pirates 9-2 at Steinbrenner Field. “I’m going to take it slow so I’m healthy and ready to go.”
Kahnle, who was on the fourth day of a 10-day layoff since throwing Monday, has dealt with biceps tendinitis twice earlier in his career.
He said he missed a month of the season when he experienced it in 2014 — though it was actually only three weeks — and then tried to go through it in 2018 and was sent down to the minors.
“So this time I grabbed it early and we’re going to see how it goes,” said Kahnle, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract to rejoin the Yankees in December.
Kahnle said he felt something after his first live bullpen session of camp and thought it might be soreness.
But when he didn’t come back well after facing hitters the second time around, he spoke up.
“I’ve had it so many times that I started lifting maybe that was it,” Kahnle said.
The Yankees’ projected bullpen seems mostly set if everyone stays healthy through spring training, but if Kahnle isn’t ready to break camp with the team, they have options.
The opening would have allowed them to carry both Domingo German and Clark Schmidt, one as the fifth starter and the other as the long man in the bullpen.
They could also turn to right-hander Jimmy Cordero or left-hander Matt Crook, both on the 40-man roster, or non-roster invitees Ian Hamilton or Nick Ramirez, both of whom have caught the Yankees’ attention early. .
Shortstop Oswald Peraza “tweaked” his lower left leg while stepping on first base during Thursday’s game in Bradenton, Boone said.
Peraza played again on Saturday against the Rays, but has not played since. Boone hopes to play again Thursday.
“He was better today,” Boone said. “I don’t expect it to be an issue.
The German looked sharp in the competition for the fifth starter’s job, throwing three innings of one-hit ball with one walk and four strikeouts.
“The one thing I can point to is the intensity, the aggression, the pitching and the aggressive hitters,” the German said of his outing. “It’s something I feel like I had a few years ago and now, putting myself in a better spot, I feel more intense to drive the pitches out there.”
Former Yankee Miguel Andujar was back at Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, sporting a beard and starting in right field for the Pirates.
The Yankees designated him for assignment last September.
“It’s always good to see people you’ve spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears with,” Boone said. “Wanting nothing but the best for him out there.”
After the game, the Yankees reassigned RHP Yoendrys Gomez, OF Everson Pereira, INF Jesus Bastidas and INF Andres Chapro to minor league camp.
