By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

When Xavier Nady injured his elbow on April 14, the news was met mostly with shrugs.

The Yankees right fielder was off to a ho-hum start with a .286 average, four RBIs and two runs scored in 28 at-bats. While Nick Swisher, who Nady was platooning with, was tearing the cover off the ball. Swisher was hitting .458 at the time and continued his hot streak throughout April, ending the season’s first month hitting .312 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs.

But in May, the Yankees hottest hitter has become their coldest. Swisher is hitting .127 in May, but the Yankees have been able to overcome it thanks to the return of Alex Rodriguez and the emergence of Mark Teixeira and Melky Cabrera.

But the Bombers still have to be excited that the return of Nady, who was originally thought to be done for the season, is quickly approaching. Nady started playing in extended spring training games two days ago and plans to start making rehab starts at the beginning of next week. Which means Nady is in line to make his scheduled mid-June return, if not before.

So, yes the Yankees can survive and even thrive without Nady, but if he can come back and hit like he did last season then the Yankees have a chance to get the next level. And we haven’t even mentioned Jorge Posada, who could come back this weekend.

Nady, along with Damaso Marte, was traded to the Yankees from the Pirates last July. Marte has been a complete bust on the field and is also on the disabled list. But Nady can help the Yankees salvage a trade that went from brilliant to bone-headed in 10 months.

This is not a knock on Swisher, whose bat shined the brightest when the rest of the Yankees lineup was struggling, but is now hitting the way most expected. Nady’s return becomes even more pivotal now that Cabrera, who is off to a tremendous start, appears headed to the DL.

Nady is not Teixeira or A-Rod, but he is another solid bat in a lineup that has the potential to be the most dangerous in the league.