#Aroldis Chapman’s Yankees status remains murky

In discussing his team, general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday the Yankees were excited to have avoided the COVID-19 situation which has allowed them to continue to play.

While that is true, the Yankees have been without All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who tested positive in early July after being negative during the intake testing. When a player tests positive, he has to have two tests come back negative before being allowed back onto the team.

Asked for an update on Chapman, Cashman said he wasn’t sure that was within the rules.

“I don’t think I am really allowed to give updates. The only thing I can tell you is that we are thankful he is doing well,’’ Cashman said on a Zoom call. “He would want me to report that. He is doing well given the circumstances he was diagnosed with COVID. When he has passed all the hurdles, you will see him back. He will be part of the group when he is game ready to be part of the group, but I have no updates other than that.’’

Without Chapman the Yankees have turned to Zack Britton in the closer’s role and Sunday in Washington the lefty got the final three outs and the save in a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

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DJ LeMahieu and Luis Cessa were delayed at the start of spring training 2.0 because they tested positive before coming to New York. LeMahieu started at second base Saturday and Sunday in Washington.

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With no games Monday and Tuesday in Philadelphia and confined to the team hotel, the Yankees had to get creative as far as working out but the process wasn’t painful.

“We are in a hotel where we are pretty much by ourselves so there is gym access and I know a couple of our pitchers were able to get outside and play catch,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “We have had team meals and things like that. We have some really good dedicated spaces in the hotel so guys are able to move around and get out of their room a little bit. It has been by and large a really comfortable experience for us for the last 48 hours.’’

The Yankees hadn’t boarded buses to New York from Philadelphia when the call from Cashman to Boone was made to discuss diverting to Baltimore on Tuesday morning. But their gear was headed north.

“We were not on buses. The equipment was starting to head back to New York. We halted that and put that on hold until we knew what the final call was going to be because that was when Baltimore first started to become a potential reality,’’ Boone said.

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Two days without games gave Boone the option of arranging his starting pitching any way he wanted to and it wasn’t a surprise that Gerrit Cole will start Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles at Camden Yards.

“Gerrit will pitch (Wednesday), Gerrit and [J.A.] Happ [Thursday] and we will continue to have those conversations [Tuesday],’’ Boone said.

Beyond Cole and Happ, Boone said Masahiro Tanaka will make his season debut against the Red Sox this weekend at Yankee Stadium. Tanaka has been out due to a concussion suffered on July 4 when he was hit in the head by a line drive off Giancarlo Stanton’s bat.

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Jordan Montgomery will be activated to face the Red Sox but Boone didn’t say which game.

With the Yankees playing games in Baltimore on Wednesday and Thursday and the Orioles scheduled to host the Yankees at Camden Yards for three games beginning Monday, Cashman was asked about the possibility of the Birds coming to The Bronx next week.

“As of right now the schedule is the schedule so I am not in position what is getting changed and what is not getting changed,’’ Cashman said. “We are drinking out of a fire hose right now on all this stuff. We will have answers to those questions when we have a little bit more time.’’