It gets worse for Sanchez as struggling catcher is hit in arm by pitch

PHILADELPHIA — Gary Sanchez's struggles got worse Wednesday night. Not only did the Yankees catcher go 0-for-2 with two more strikeouts in the 3-1 win over the Phillies, but Sanchez took a heavy Tommy Hunter pitch to his left elbow.

Sanchez remained in the game, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone admitted that's the type of thing that can get worse over night.

“It seems like he got it in that spot where I've gotten a number of times and that can, it can swell up and stiffen up on you,” Boone said. “So we'll just have to see how it is in these coming hours and then overnight what it feels like tomorrow.

“I'm not worried that it's necessarily an injury, but I am worried that it's something that could stiffen up and have an effect for a day or two,” Boone said.

Sanchez has started the season 2 for 27 with 16 strikeouts. The catcher has struggled to find his timing.

Boone acknowledged that Sanchez is fighting his timing right now, but said they are very happy that he is not letting it impact his defense.

“He's catching so well, so I feel like mentally he's dealing with it fine,” Boone said “We just got to get them you know, mechanically a little more sound. He's racing out there. He's out in front of pitches.”

WON’T RUSH CHAPMAN

Aroldis Chapman is at least a week away from rejoining the Yankees. The closer was scheduled to throw a bullpen on Wednesday and live hitters were not yet on his radar.

“I don't expect (him to be pitching in a big-league game) any time soon, but he is in a good spot and we'll monitor how each (bullpen) goes, how his live BPs go and make the smart decision about when to bring him back. We will not rush him,” Boone said.

The Yankees have a solid, experienced closer to use with Chapman out. Zack Britton has four saves in four appearances in his absence. Chapman has yet to play a regular-season game after testing positive for COVID-19 last month. When that test result was announced on July 11, Chapman was asymptomatic.

A six-time All-Star, Chapman posted a 2.21 ERA and 37 saves in 60 appearances last season, He was the back-end of a bullpen built to shut down games after the fifth inning.

In past seasons, the Yankees have been hit hard by injuries that tested their depth. So they may be uniquely prepared for the challenges of navigating a season that will most likely be impacted by the coronavirus again.

Britton is an established, elite closer who has 145 career saves. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2016, the year he saved 63 games for the Orioles.

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SEVEN’S ENOUGH

The Yankees played in their first seven-inning game Wednesday. With the season so short and condensed by the coronavirus pandemic, MLB has decided to play seven-inning games for doubleheaders.

The Phillies beat the Yankees 11-7 in the first game, rallying for three runs in the bottom of the seventh. They won the nightcap with two run in the seventh.

It's a different game with fewer chances against a bullpen like the Phillies, which is struggling

“Look, it's a different game once you get to where it was and different usage,” Boone said.

ROTATION ROLLING THROUGH THE WEEKEND

With the doubleheader on Wednesday and another on Saturday, Boone had to figure out how to manage his bullpen through this stretch. Jordan Montgomery will pitch Thursday's series finale against the Phillies here at Citizens Bank park. He will be followed by Masahiro Tanaka on Friday in the first of four games against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Gerrit Cole will pitch one game of the doubleheader on Saturday. Boone said he will go with a bullpen game for the other game.

James Paxton, who has struggled in his first two starts this season, would be lined up to start on Sunday's series finale in Tampa Bay.

KAHNLE UPDATE

Right-hander Tommy Kahnle had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday, the team announced. He had the procedure at New York Presbyterian Hospital and the team said it “went as expected.”

Kahnle will miss the rest of this season and likely part of the 2021 season. He is a free agent after next season.