Max Fried encouraged by recovery ahead of latest step toward return Yankees desperately need

Max Fried is set to throw another simulated game Sunday at the Stadium in his comeback from a left elbow bone bruise that’s sidelined him since mid-May.

It will be another step for the lefty who still figures to be about a month away from rejoining what’s been a shaky Yankees rotation.

Fried and the Yankees remain encouraged by his progress, with Fried saying Saturday that he’s made some mechanical adjustments that should prevent the injury from returning.

He said that after his previous live batting practice sessions he’s felt “completely normal. I feel healthy. … I would love to be able to snap my fingers and be back out there, but as a starting pitcher, it takes time to build up. I’ll get back hopefully soon.”

With Carlos Rodón now also out with left elbow inflammation, the Yankees are even more in need of Fried being back on the mound.

Fried is now at a stage where he’s mostly just building up his pitch count.

After throwing 28 pitches over two innings in his previous sim game, he’s expected to go about 35 over two innings Sunday.

If that goes well, a minor league rehab outing could be discussed and as Boone noted, the Yankees will have to decide how deep they need Fried to pitch into a game before welcoming him back to The Bronx.

“When do we take him?” Boone said. “Is it at 60 [or] 75, 80 pitches? Those will be conversations we have over the next couple weeks as he continues to build up. He looks and feels really good. He looks like Max Fried.”

Boone indicated it would likely be “a few weeks” before Fried could realistically be back.

“It’s one of those injuries you have to be really careful with,” Fried said. “If you push it too fast, you risk turning it into some sort of break or fracture.”

He added he’d “really felt off mechanically most of the year” and is now “more balanced [and] on time.”

Fried will attempt to bring that into games whenever he does return, as the Yankees have been waiting all season for their full rotation to be healthy.

With Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon back from the IL, there was a question about how much Anthony Volpe would be in the lineup over José Caballero.

Volpe was in there instead of Caballero on Saturday, as Boone said, “Both guys deserve to play.”

The manager also noted that there was “strong debate” about keeping Spencer Jones in the majors before he was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday to open a spot for Saturday’s spot starter, Brendan Beck.

Boone said Jones would benefit from playing regularly in the minors and they prefer the defensive versatility and right-handed bat of Max Schuemann, who homered and reached base four times Saturday.

Grisham was in the lineup at DH after Boone said he initially had planned on him getting a day off. Boone noted the Twins had originally planned to start a left-hander, but switched to righty Zebby Matthews.

Grisham went 0-for-2 before being replaced by pinch hitter Paul Goldschmidt in the sixth.

Goldschmidt flied out to left with the bases loaded to extend his hitless streak to 0-for-21.

Yankees pitchers allowed a season-high six homers… Both teams wore Fourth of July-themed hats and jerseys. The red, white and blue numbers were virtually impossible to see on the back of the Yankees uniforms… Home plate umpire James Hoye had a rough day behind the plate. The first five calls challenged were all overturned via ABS.