The New York Yankees got good news today on setup man Rafael Soriano. The reliever has only inflammation in his pitching elbow and should return to the bullpen within a few days.
Soriano had been sent for an MRI after complaining of soreness, which he said stemmed from appearing in back-to-back games recently. The Yankees signed Soriano to be the setup man to Mariano Rivera, and possibly the team's closer once Rivera decides to retire.
Soriano has struggled in the new role with the Yankees, but the team has continued to express faith in him. Jack Curry tweeted that Soriano will play catch on Thursday, after which the Yankees will know more about how many days it will be before he is available to pitch.
The Yankees also optioned reliever Lance Pendleton to AAA and activated veteran Luis Ayala from the 15-day disabled list. Ayala had been out with an oblique injury.