Stanton nearing rehab turn

Giancarlo Stanton’s rehab assignment in his comeback from a strained left hamstring won’t begin this weekend, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the injury is improving after the outfielder/DH underwent scanning on Thursday.

“It is healing, kind of how we expected,’’ Boone said after the Yankees lost to the Orioles, 3-1, in The Bronx.

Boone said the injury is “almost” completely healed and the rehab assignment could begin “hopefully early next week.” Stanton has been out since April, as has third baseman Josh Donaldson, who has a strained right hamstring.

Donaldson began his rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He went 1-for-3 in six innings at third base.

This is Donaldson’s second rehab assignment since he went on the injured list in early April. The first one was cut short after Donaldson tweaked his hamstring. This latest one is expected to last through the weekend at least before the Yankees reassess his status and decide whether he could join them on their upcoming trip, either in Seattle or Los Angeles.

➤ Tommy Kahnle (biceps tendinitis) also had his rehab assignment transferred to SWB on Thursday, when the right-hander walked one in a scoreless inning in his third rehab outing. He is expected to need at least one more rehab outing before the Yankees are ready to bring him back. The earliest he is eligible to come off the 60-day IL is Monday.

➤ Carlos Rodon threw again Thursday, but there’s no known timetable for his Yankees debut. Boone said the lefty, who had been sidelined with back discomfort after he suffered an elbow strain during spring training, could begin throwing off a mound this week, according to Boone.

More immediately, Randy Vasquez is expected to start Friday in what would be his MLB debut, filling in for the suspended Domingo German, who is scheduled to return to the rotation Monday in Seattle.

➤ After the game, the Yankees optioned reliever Nick Ramirez to Triple-A to make room for Vazquez. Ramirez gave up a hit and committed a fielding error in one-third of an inning on Thursday.