Ivan Nova set to make Friday rehab start

On the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery, Ivan Nova will make his third and final minor league rehab start on Friday, June 19th. According to Christina De Nicola of Yankees.com, it has not been decided if Nova will throw with the Yankees Triple-A team, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, or the Yankees Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder. The target for Nova to return is by the end of June, as the Yankees plan to activate Nova and place him in the starting rotation after Friday's rehab start. A roster move or any changes to the rotation and bullpen have not yet been announced by the team to make room for Nova once he comes off the disabled list.

Girardi said Ivan Nova will make one more minor league rehab start. It will be Friday on 5 days rest. No changes/additions to rotation yet.

— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) June 15, 2015

  Nova, 28, who underwent Tommy John surgery on April 29th, 2014, pitched six solid innings allowing one run on five hits in his second rehab start with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Saturday. He struck out three and walked a batter. In his five years in Pinstripes, Nova has been a consistent arm in the Yankees rotation boasting a 40-22 record and a 4.20 ERA. He has appeared in 93 games for the Yankees in his tenure, starting 86 games. The Yankees will have to push someone out of the rotation once Nova returns, as the team has no plans to go to a six-man rotation. The current rotation for the Yankees is Michael Pineda, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi, and Adam Warren. There has been talk of who will be the odd man out of the rotation, but there has been no official word from the Yankees.