PHOENIX — While Friday wasn’t a positive day in terms of injury news for the Aaron Judge-less Yankees, Aaron Boone did say that the team can count on a reinforcement soon.

That would be Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is expected to return from a sprained right thumb on the team’s upcoming and final homestand of the regular season. Boone said that Friday was the second baseman’s fourth day of hitting in a row. He’s also been throwing the last few days.

“He’s getting very close,” Boone said.

Chisholm previously said that he hoped to come off the injured list when the Yankees returned home from Arizona. He hurt his thumb while sliding into second base on Sept. 8.

Chisholm is an impending free agent in the midst of a disappointing season, but he had rounded into form before getting. He hit .295 with an .832 OPS, three home runs, 10 RBI and 10 stolen bases over his last 29 games. He also had a .391 OPS and a 1.028 OPS over his last 15 games.

The hope is that Chisholm can pick up where he left off, especially with Judge returning to the IL with a right calf strain.

Chisholm is hitting .232 with a .715 OPS, 19 home runs, 55 RBI and 40 steals overall.

GRISHAM ‘COULD BE IN PLAY’

Boone also said that Trent Grisham is pretty far into his running progression and “could be in play at the end of the season.” The center fielder suffered his second right hamstring strain of the season earlier this month.

Prior to that, Grisham hit .211 with a .703 OPS and 18 home runs. He’s also been one of the slowest and worst defensive center fielders in baseball the last two years.

With Grisham not producing on either side of the ball and Spencer Jones more than holding his own, the former was not guaranteed to start in the playoffs prior to Judge’s injury. Now, however, Grisham could play center while Jones handles right. The Yankees can also use Jones in center and Heliot Ramos is right against lefties.

WEATHERS WON’T RETURN BEFORE PLAYOFFS

While the Yankees had hoped otherwise, Aaron Boone said Ryan Weathers is “unlikely” to return before the end of the regular season. The left-handed starter, working his way back from a flexor strain as a reliever, is expected to throw his second bullpen session at Chase Field on Saturday.

Asked if the Yankees would be comfortable having Weathers’ first game off the IL come in the postseason, neither Boone nor pitching coach Matt Blake ruled the idea out.

“I don’t know if ‘comfortable’ is [the right word],” Blake said, “but it might be the course of action where he’s the best option even though he hasn’t pitched in the last three or four weeks.”