Manny Banuelos surrendered three runs in two-thirds of an inning Saturday in his spring debut.

It was Banuelos' first appearance since Tommy John surgery in 2012. He'll finish his rehab in the minors this year before perhaps becoming an option for the Yankees after the All-Star break.

Manny Banuelos (elbow) is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut on Saturday.

Banuelos is expected to go just one inning. He underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in October 2012 and is still working his way back. The 22-year-old left-hander was once considered a top pitching prospect. He'll now try to regain that status.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Monday that Manny Banuelos (elbow) is close to pitching in a Grapefruit League game.

Making his way back from October 2012 Tommy John surgery, Banuelos threw live batting practice on Monday. The young left-hander is a former top prospect but has thrown just 58 1/3 innings above Double-A and made only six starts since the beginning of the 2012 campaign. The soon-to-be 23-year-old needs some minor league seasoning.

Manny Banuelos, who is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will face live hitters for the first time on Wednesday.

The supremely talented 22-year-old has thrown just 58 1/3 innings above the Double-A level in his career, but was on a normal throwing program this offseason and could crack the Opening Day bullpen with a strong spring.

Manny Banuelos has a shot at making the Yankees out of spring as a reliever, a source tells Wallace Matthews and Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York.

"Banuelos has got that big arm," a front office source said. "If it's still there and the lightning still strikes then you're going see people say, 'F--- it, bring him with us [on Opening Day].'" The 22-year-old is coming off Tommy John surgery and has thrown just 58 1/3 innings above Double-A, but he remains one of the Yankees' better prospects and could force the issue with a strong spring. Despite the chance of starting in the bullpen, the left-hander is still viewed as a starter long-term.

If the Yankees are unable to sign Masahiro Tanaka should he end up being posted, general manager Brian Cashman hinted that the club could look in-house to fill their remaining voids in the rotation.

With C.C. Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Ivan Nova penciled in at the top of the staff, that would leave two spots open for competition between Manny Banuelos, Michael Pineda, David Phelps, Adam Warren and Vidal Nuno. A former highly-touted prospect, the 22-year-old Banuelos missed the entire 2013 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Manny Banuelos (elbow) has begun playing catch.

Banuelos is recovering from October Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2013 season, but his rehab has gone well so far. The young left-hander was one of the Yankees' best prospects prior to the operation.

Yankees purchased the contract of LHP Manny Banuelos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

A no-brainer, even though Banuelos is slated to miss the entire 2013 season following Tommy John surgery. While the Yankees will essentially lose a year of pre-arb team control due to the injury, the 21-year-old southpaw still has a bright future.

Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday.

Banuelos was limited to just six starts this season due to an elbow injury and now he can be ruled out for 2013. Still, he doesn't turn 22 until next March, so it's way too soon to write off his future. He just won't make an impact for the Yankees as quickly as first expected.

The Yankees have shut down pitching prospect Manny Banuelos.

The 21-year-old southpaw was rated as New York's top prospect over the winter but ended up pitching only six games this season. He hasn't taken the mound since May due to a bone bruise in his left elbow. "He'll recover from this," Yankees vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said. "That's what our doctors say. We have no doubt about it. At this point, there is no reason to push it. We are trying to be as prepared as we can for next season." The Yankees want Banuelos to pitch in Winter Ball and thus decided to cut his 2012 campaign short.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi confirmed that Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos' left elbow showed no structural damage.

"His ligament checked out fine,'' Girardi said. ''He's just got some soreness." While it's good news, it's not clear when he'll resume throwing. Banuelos, 21, has a 4.50 ERA and 22/10 K/BB ratio in 24 innings over his first six starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

An MRI on Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos' left elbow showed no structural damage.

It's good news, as there was some concern that he had a serious injury. Banuelos, who holds a 4.50 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 24 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, will be shut down indefinitely.

Yankees pitching prospect Manny Banuelos has been placed on the disabled list at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre with a sore left elbow.

No word yet on the severity of the injury. Banuelos was on the DL earlier this season with a back ailment and had pitched well since returning. Expect the Yanks to play things cautiously with their talented young lefty even if no structural damage is found.

Manny Banuelos gave up four runs in his inning of relief against the Jays on Wednesday.

Banuelos had pitched four scoreless innings this spring before struggling and getting taken deep by Edwin Encarnacion today. The Yankees' top pitching prospect, he'll be in the Triple-A rotation to start the year.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees will not call up prospect pitchers Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances when rosters expand Thursday.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman indicated Monday that prospect left-hander Manny Banuelos is unlikely to be called up from the minors when rosters expand in September.

"You may or may not see him," said Cashman. "It's more likely you won't see him. There are no plans for him to join us. He is 20 years old. He is at Triple-A (Scranton-Wilkes Barre) right now and there are no plans to push him. That could change, but ..." While the Yankees recently talked about using Banuelos as a reliever, Cashman said Monday that the young southpaw is not being moved to the bullpen with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It appears that they don't have the sense of urgency to make the move now that Rafael Soriano is back from the disabled list and Phil Hughes is likely bullpen-bound.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that prospect left-hander Manny Banuelos will have to pitch in relief at the minor league level before he does so in the major leagues.

Banuelos was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at the end of July and has a 2.45 ERA and 13/3 K/BB ratio over his first two starts. However, the 20-year-old southpaw is widely expected to be shifted to the bullpen with an eye on helping the Yankees down the stretch and in the postseason.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi wouldn't rule out promoting Manny Banuelos later this season.

"Sure," Girardi said when asked about the possibility. "We're looking at everyone and anyone who we feel that can help us down these last 50 or whatever games we have left. He's got a chance to go to Triple-A tonight, and let's see how he does." Banuelos, 20, gave up seven hits and three walks over five innings in his Triple-A debut Tuesday but also allowed just two runs and struck out eight.

Manny Banuelos has been promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees' top pitching prospect registered a 3.59 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings for Double-A Trenton. He's only 20 years old and continues to rise quickly through the Bronx Bombers' farm system.

Manny Banuelos has been placed on the minor league disabled list with a blister.

Banuelos should be back to normal in about a week. He's made one start so far this season at Double-A Trenton and shut the opposition out over four innings. The Yankees are hoping that he will be ready to make his major league debut at some point this summer.