ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tommy Kahnle came sprinting out of the clubhouse inside the Yankees’ player development complex Friday morning sporting a Penny Hardaway, Orlando Magic jersey.
In another 10 days or so, the reliever finally could be wearing a Yankees jersey again for the first time this season.
Kahnle came out of his first rehab game Wednesday feeling healthy and will pitch in a second on Saturday afternoon with Single-A Tampa.
From there, the plan is he will move up to Double-A Somerset, where he will likely pitch in three more games before potentially being ready to join the Yankees by the end of their homestand that goes through May 23.
“I feel good so far,” Kahnle said after playing catch at the club’s complex in Tampa. “I would say after one more [outing, the stuff] is probably there. But the rest is just getting back into a groove.”
Kahnle, in the second year of a two-year, $11.5 million contract, has been sidelined since spring training after he got a late start to his offseason throwing program because of shoulder soreness that lingered from late last season.
The Yankees initially expected him to only miss a week or two at the start of this season, but he suffered a setback during his rehab in late March after throwing live batting practice.
“The next day, I threw and it didn’t feel great,” said Kahnle, who has not yet been transferred to the 60-day injured list, allowing him to return before May 27. “So I was like, ‘Great, it’s back.’ So I took five days off and then started throwing and it’s been great since. I think I beat it before it got worse.”
If Kahnle can stay healthy — which has been a challenge for the 34-year-old right-hander — he would add a swing-and-miss threat to a bullpen that has still found a way to thrive without it.
Entering Friday, the Yankees’ relief corps had the fifth-fewest strikeouts-per nine innings in the majors (7.61), but the lowest ERA at 2.25.
Without Kahnle, the Yankees’ current bullpen only has two members left — Clay Holmes and Ian Hamilton — from the one that led the majors in ERA last season.
And still, the group of mostly unheralded arms has played a key role in the Yankees getting off to as strong of a start to the season as they have.
“They’ve been great,” Kahnle said. “I feel like everybody’s done well. This bullpen, top to bottom, is really good. You look at Clay, he’s absolutely shutting the door. Everybody else is pitching well behind him. That’s all we need. We just need our bullpen to cover what starters give us. I mean, we’re going to hit the ball. Once it gets hotter out, we’re going to see it really take off.”
The Yankees have made up for the losses of Jonathan Loaisiga (season-ending UCL surgery), Michael King (traded to the Padres) and Wandy Peralta (signed with the Padres) by trading for lefties Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez and getting the most out of the likes out Luke Weaver and Dennis Santana.
“It’s been huge,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Got to have that. I feel like the starters have done a really good job of giving us good opportunities to win every night, but then the bullpen’s a big reason we’ve been able to close out or hold the line and come back. They’ve all played a role in that.
“Obviously Clay’s been outstanding holding things down, but everyone leading up to him has really done their job really well. If you’re going to have a good bullpen, it takes more than two or three guys you can hang your hat on. It’s kind of a little bit of everyone and they’ve all done a good job.”
In the meantime, Kahnle was trying to make the most of his time in Tampa.
He has been rehabbing with fellow relievers Lou Trivino and Scott Effross and has also appreciated getting to help out some of the minor leaguers at the complex.
On Friday, potentially his final day there, he bought them donuts and Chick-Fil-A.
“Our nutritionist is probably not too happy,” Kahnle said, “but I know that’s what I would have wanted.”
