Carlos Beltran had a second cortisone shot on Saturday in his inflamed right elbow and is scheduled to visit Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday.
“I’m not sure where he’s going after that,” Joe Girardi said before the Yankees split a doubleheader against the Pirates in The Bronx on Sunday.
When asked if the second injection would be the last for Beltran before a decision would have to be made regarding surgery, Girardi said: “I would think so.”
Beltran reported some improvement in the elbow since being sidelined with a bone spur suffered while taking swings in the batting cage while serving as the designated hitter against the Mets on May 12.
Even before injuring his elbow, Beltran had tailed off at the plate considerably.
Masahiro Tanaka dominated the Cubs in The Bronx on April 16, tossing eight shutout innings, striking out 10, walking one and surrendering only two hits in a 3-0 victory.
He will get the chance to face them again Tuesday at Wrigley Field, the first time he’ll face a team twice since joining the Yankees.
“I just try to adjust once I get into the game,” Tanaka said through an interpreter.
The right-hander is coming off a complete game shutout of the Mets at Citi Field, an outing he called “pretty good.”
And he added he was confident he’d have this kind of success when he decided to become a free agent.
“If I had so [many] doubts, then I would still be in Japan,” Tanaka said.
Chase Whitley is scheduled to make his second major league start on Wednesday against the Cubs after pitching 4²/₃ shutout innings versus the Mets in his debut.
Michael Pineda threw another bullpen session Sunday and was again pain-free. … With their win in the first game, the Yankees improved to 10-1 when they’ve led after the first inning. … Jacoby Ellsbury, who missed Saturday’s game with flu-like symptoms, returned for the first game on Sunday, going 0-for-3 with a walk, playing center.
Ichiro Suzuki started in right field in the second game after not having been in a starting lineup since May 11 because of a sore back. … RHP Jose Ramirez was called up for the day from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the extra player for the doubleheader, but didn’t make an appearance.
Gerrit Cole, the 23-year-old righty the Yankees selected with the 28th overall pick in 2008, picked up the win in the second game. Cole spurned the Yankees and after attending UCLA, became the top overall pick in 2011.
“It’s just another win right now,” said Cole (4-3). “We’ve got to try and get as many as we can get. The sentimental stuff really doesn’t mean anything.”