Carlos Beltran to start throwing for first time since elbow injury

Carlos Beltran will start a throwing program on Wednesday after he works towards returning to playing in the outfield, which he has not done since first injuring his elbow during a game in mid-May.

Beltran returned from the DL last Thursday in New York, and has only played in games as the designated hitters.

Beltran has told reporters that he still feels some pain in his elbow, and that wear a brace on the elbow to stop him from overextending the elbow.

"It's there. I still feel a little pain," Beltran told Brendan Kuty. "But it's something — I have to deal with it. So, right now, I'm not really thinking about it. I'm just trying to not focus on that and focus on what's important and just find my stroke and be able to be out there in the lineup."

Beltran is 3-for-18 (.167) since coming off the disabled list, and picked up two hits in the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners last night, including an RBI double in the 1st inning.

The Yankees have kept him as the DH and away from throwing up to this point, hoping that he wouldn't make the bone spurs in his below any worse than they already are, and avoid surgery altogether. However, should be end up having the surgery, it would put him out for about 8-12 weeks.

In his absence from the field, the Yankees have been using a platoon between Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano, who is also struggling pretty hard right now.

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