#Yankees’ injury headache grows with Kyle Higashioka, Adam Warren

TAMPA — Kyle Higashioka was scratched from Tuesday’s game against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. with what Aaron Boone called soreness in his side.

Higashioka reported the soreness Monday and will be further evaluated Tuesday. Rob Brantly was in the lineup and catching Gerrit Cole in Higashioka’s absence.

“We didn’t want to mess with anything too much,” Boone said of the decision to sit Higashioka, who has had a sluggish spring at the plate.

“He felt like maybe he wanted to get ahead of it,” added Boone, who saw Higashioka early Tuesday and the catcher told him he felt good. “Just try to avoid an injury situation.”

The Yankees’ catching depth has already taken a hit this spring with the loss of Robinson Chirinos, who needed surgery to repair a fractured right hand after being hit by a pitch last week. He’s expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

And the Yankees are also dealing with another injury in their pitching staff, as Adam Warren has been shut down with shoulder soreness, according to Boone. The manager said the right-hander hadn’t thrown in four or five days, so he’d be sidelined at least a few more days.

Warren is coming back from Tommy John surgery.