DIDI CLEARED BY DOCS

Yanks gets boost as shortstop gets good news, but late rally against Rays falls short

The Yankees and Didi Gregorius got good news Wednesday.

After having the torn cartilage in his right wrist examined by doctors, the shortstop was cleared to restart baseball activities, Aaron Boone confirmed on “The Michael Kay Show” on 98.7 ESPN NY.

“He got good news, he’s cleared to go,” the Yankee manager told Kay. “He’s going to do tee and toss (hitting), hit in the cage today and get all his work in.

“Hopefully everything goes well,” Boone continued. “We’re very optimistic with where he is at.”

Hours after the Gregorius news, the Yankees lost to the Rays, 8-7, keep- ing them from a chance to clinch home field for the wild-card game.

Boone also said that Aaron Hicks, who left Monday night’s game with a tight left hamstring, could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday night. Boone did not want to test the leg out on the artificial turf at Tropicana Field Wednesday or Thursday.

“We’re in a good spot there, we’re treating it conservatively,” Boone said. “He got the MRI, no grade of strain... Especially with being on turf, I wanted to be careful. He’s hitting in cage today, but you probably won’t see him (Wednesday) night or (Thursday).”

Gleyber Torres, who was scratched with groin/hip/leg tightness on Tuesday, was also out of the lineup on Wednesday. Boone said it was a precaution with the Yankees playing on the turf.

Hicks and Torres are likely to be back for Friday night’s series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway, the final regular-season series of the year. The timeline seems to indicate there is a good chance Gregorius will be back for the Oct. 3 American League wild-card game.

“That’s certainly the hope,” Boone said, before cautioning that Gregorius has to “get through the next few days as we really ramp up the baseball activities.”

The 28-year old shortstop is hitting .268, with a careerhigh 27 homers, 86 RBIs and 10 stolen bases this season. That’s a pretty big bat out of the lineup, particularly with Aaron Judge still trying to find his way back from missing seven weeks with a fractured right wrist.

Defensively, Gregorius is the toprated shortstop in fielding percentage in the majors, with just five errors on 470 total chances in the field.

The Yankees brought in Adeiny Hechavarria as defensive insurance at shortstop and he has played there in Gregorius’ absence.

TALKIN’ BULL

While Boone said he would not consider an “Opener,” for the wildcard game, he did not dismiss a potential “bullpen,” game.

“Absolutely, it’s a consideration,” the Yankee manager said on “The Michael Kay Show” on 98.7 ESPN NY Wednesday afternoon, but adding that it would be a regular starter — J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka or Luis Severino beginning the game. “I could see Happ, Masa or Sevy, even if they are pitching well not going deep. We’ll be rested and lined up, so I can see getting two, three, four or five innings from (the starter) and then roll it out. “We will consider it.” Monday night, the Yankees used a “bullpen game,” with eight pitchers holding the Rays to one run. They used Jonathan Holder as the “opener,” who then gave way to Stephen Tarpley, Sonny Gray (who allowed the run), Chad Green, David Robertson, Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Zach Britton.

The Yankees acquired Britton at the July non-waiver trade deadline to bolster that back-end of the bullpen and give them insurance with Chapman’s balky left knee. While Boone has said that Chapman, who is coming off the disabled list because of the knee, will eventually work his way back to closing games, he said Wednesday Britton could also be pitching in save situations in the playoffs.

The bullpen will be a strength for the Yankees in the postseason.

With four pitchers with closing experience — Robertson, Betances, Britton and Chapman — and likely having Lance Lynn there for multiinning outings, they can lean heavily on this bullpen down the stretch.