Gray hoping for Sonny days ahead

BALTIMORE – After back-to-back implosions, the starter-needy Yankees will turn the ball over once again to Sonny Gray on Wednesday night at Camden Yards, desperately needing him to turn around what has so far been an awful season.

“I think I’ve struggled in the past and I’ve responded,” Gray said. “I struggled last year at the beginning of the year a little bit and I responded. I think this is probably the longest I’ve struggled for a (single) period, but I’m comfortable in my own skin.

“I’m not going to walk around with my head down. I’m going to walk around with my head up high and I’m going to figure it out. And I mean that’s just kind of how I go about things, not only baseball but things in life. And I’m going to keep working until I figure it out, and that’s kind of how I approach it.”

In his last two starts combined, Gray has allowed 11 runs in 4.1 innings. Despite his struggles, though, he has managed to stay in the rotation.

“I had two bad starts. It’s not a secret,” Gray said. “But at the end of the day I get a chance to go out and compete tomorrow. I get a chance to go out there and try to win a baseball game, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.

“I think everybody in the clubhouse understands what I’m going through.”

Gray is trying to approach his next start like any other.

“I think it’s just another start where I’m trying to go out there and try to win. Anything else I think is pretty irrelevant for me to think of.”

Asked what he’s been working on in between starts, Gray responded, “Just working on a lot of trying to drive the ball through the zone and go out there with a good mindset.”

INJURY UPDATES

Gary Sanchez (groin) took batting practice on the field Wednesday.

“I would say he’s very much getting close to really ramping up baseball activities and shortly thereafter we’ll probably start to map out a rehab game schedule,” Aaron Boone said.

Boone has previously said Sanchez could start rehab games right before the All-Star break with the team in Cleveland and then return after the Midsummer Classic.

As for Gleyber Torres (hip), he did tee and toss and will be ramping up baseball activities this week.

The thought is Torres could begin rehab games during the All-Star break.

Jed Lowrie will replace Torres on the AL All-Star roster.