Sanchez sits, says cramp is improving

Gary Sanchez missed his second straight game after being removed in the 14th inning of Friday night’s loss to the Orioles with a cramp in his right calf, but Aaron Boone said the catcher was available.

“I was trying as hard as I could to stay away from him having to go in the game and catch,’’ the manager said after the Yankees lost to Baltimore, 8-7, in 12 innings at the Stadium on Sunday. “I almost hit him in [Jace] Peterson’s last at-bat [in the 11th], but there was a base open and he would’ve been walked.”

YANKEES NOTES

Both Boone and Sanchez said his leg improved since Saturday and he expected to be ready for Tuesday’s series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

“Being out of the lineup is not about my injury being more serious,” Sanchez said through an interpreter before the game. “I think the day off [Monday] and putting together a couple days off is smart. … I’m feeling better every day. [Saturday] it was a little tight, but the doctor told me that’s normal.”

Sanchez has gotten off to a dismal start to the season. He snapped an 0-for-17 stretch with a homer Wednesday, but had just one hit on the homestand.

In his absence, Austin Romine matched his career-high with three hits.

➤ The Yankees should get more clarity soon about several injured players. Aaron Hicks (oblique) is scheduled to play his first rehab game with Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre on Monday and could meet the team in Boston. He took batting practice outside for a second straight day and reported no issues.

Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to visit a hip specialist Monday for another evaluation of his injury that has slowed his return from the oblique injury he suffered during spring training. And Brandon

Drury will undergo an assessment to try to determine what is causing the blurred vision and headaches that forced him from Friday’s game, symptoms which he said he’s been suffering from for years.

And Clint Frazier (concussion) has not been cleared to play in games yet, but Boone hoped that would be “around the corner.”