Yankees put Domingo German on 60-day injured list

TAMPA — Domingo German was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday with what the Yankees are calling right shoulder pain.

The move was made in part to give Anthony Rizzo a spot on the 40-man roster, whose The signing became official earlier in the day.

Aaron Boone said the right-hander recently started a throwing program after aggravating a shoulder injury he sustained in the second half of last season while throwing alone during the MLB lockout in January.

“He’s throwing,” said the manager. “He’s playing tag. I think [Wednesday] was his second day of throwing so he started throwing but it will be a while.”

The Yankees appear optimistic that Germany won’t be out for too long, but it adds even more uncertainty to a rotation that already had some question marks behind Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery.

They’ve had positive news on Jameson Taillon, who is ahead of schedule in his return from offseason ankle surgery, and Luis Severino is looking strong after returning from Tommy John surgery late last season.

Aaron Boone said Thursday that Nestor Cortes Jr. should return to the rotation, where he has proven to be a reliable starter.

With Oakland in the midst of another selloff, the Yankees are monitoring the availability of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.

The Yankees will play their first Grapefruit League game of the spring when they visit Bradenton, Fla. on Friday to take on the Pirates.

Right-hander Hayden Wesneski is scheduled to start for the Yankees as Boone said they will be holding back their major league starters somewhat due to the late start of spring training. Among the regular position players heading to the game is Luke Voit – who is now auditioning for a spot on another team after signing Rizzo.

New short stop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Gleyber Torres, now back in second place, will get their first chance to work as a double-play duo. Joey Gallo is also expected to arrive.

“We have a handful of regulars who leave [to Bradenton on Friday and Sarasota on Saturday]’ Boone said. “We’re probably going to treat it like a normal first game, whether it’s three innings or four [and] a few bats. We will pay close attention to how they are doing.”

When asked about a possible line-up for the regular season, Boone said he could see DJ LeMahieu lead at times, as could Aaron Hicks, Rizzo and Gallo.

The way we’re set up now, I feel like we’re a bit more versatile and flexible,” Boone said of the lineup. “We’ll just see what makes the most sense. As it stands now, we have a chance to find a real balance and that’s reassuring.”

CC Sabathia made his first appearance as an instructor at the camp. When asked if he was considering a comeback, Sabathia shook her head and said, “No.”

Additional reporting by Greg Joyce