HOUSTON — Until Jacoby Ellsbury starts playing in minor league games, it is difficult to predict when the center fielder and leadoff hitter will return to a Yankees lineup that has thrived recently without him.
As the Yankees prepared to open a four-game series against the AL West-leading Astros on Thursday evening at Minute Maid Park, GM Brian Cashman didn’t have an exact date when Ellsbury would start a minor league rehab assignment.
“He is still in the rehab process, maybe within a week,’’ Cashman said before the 4-0 Yankees loss.
Out since May 20 with a sprained right knee, Ellsbury stayed in The Bronx to work with Yankees’ physical therapist Michael Schuk at Yankee Stadium and, according to Cashman, was going to rejoin the Yankees in Texas.
How many minor league games Ellsbury will require before coming off the DL will depend on how the knee holds up.
“I remember when I first started, [the number of games] was extensive,’’ Cashman said. “Now it’s not as long as it used to be; five games or less.’’
If Ellsbury starts a rehab assignment Thursday and requires five games it’s possible, without a setback, he could come off the DL July 8, when the Yankees host the A’s at the Stadium.
That would give him five games before the All-Star break [July 13-16].
With Ellsbury, the Yankees were 22-18. Without him, they are 17-16.
“He is still not there. You want him running 100 percent before you send him out to start a rehab,’’ Joe Girardi said. “You want to see him turn it loose and feel good the next day.”
Andrew Miller played catch Thursday for the second straight day and will take Friday off. The plan, according to Miller, is for him to long toss Saturday.
Even though Brett Gardner was on a 17-for-36 (.472) tear at the plate, Girardi didn’t start the Yankees’ hottest hitter against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel.
“Keuchel is a tough left-hander. I am trying to put as many right-handers [in the lineup] as I can,’’ said Girardi, who put Chris Young atop the lineup and in center field.
Young had two of the six hits Keuchel gave up. He singled in the first and third innings.
Brian McCann also sat for John Ryan Murphy, but that had something to do with the way starter Adam Warren and Murphy have worked well recently.
Murphy went 1-for-3 and had a throwing error.
According to Girardi, the Yankees have skipped bullpen side sessions of Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda recently in case they were needed for relief. Neither was, and Girardi believed the pen, which has been a merry-go-round lately, was in good shape entering Thursday’s action.
There was a time when the veterans anticipated watching Alex Rodriguez for the first time. Thursday night the 39-year-old Rodriguez looked forward to seeing Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.
“I am excited to see him. I like to see the better talent, and he is one of them,’’ Rodriguez said of the 20-year-old who was batting .300 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 16 games. He is the youngest position player in the majors. “His future is so bright. I will get a good look at him for four days. I remember going to Baltimore and seeing Cal Ripken. It was one of the biggest thrills of my life.’’
Correa went hitless in four at-bats but displayed solid hands and a powerful arm in the field.
The Yankees reinstated Stephen Drew from the paternity list and recalled infielder Gregorio Petit from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Drew went 0-for-3 and committed an error that led to an unearned run.
“We are seeing a ton of left-handers, two here and two in Anaheim. We felt we needed 13 position players,’’ Girardi said of adding Petit, who went 0-for-3.
Andrew Bailey completed a rehab assignment with SWB and was activated on the Double-A Tampa roster.
The Yankees will be represented at the Future Games on July 12 in Cincinnati by catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Aaron Judge. Sanchez will play for the World Team and Judge the USA squad.
