TAMPA — With Opening Day less than a week away, Brian Cashman called the Yankees a “work in progress” on Saturday afternoon. Injuries have certainly hindered that progress, leaving the Yankees’ championship-aspiring roster with some room for improvement as they prep for another season. One p articular area of need is a right-handed bat, which Cashman acknowledged. “I’d be happier if I could line up some choices for our manager,” Cashman said when asked about the subject. The addition of a right-handed bat could fill various needs for the Yankees. Oswaldo Cabrera is currently expected to play third base regularly despite profiling more as a utilityman, and Giancarlo Stanton’s powerful swing won’t return to the DH spot anytime soon. Cashman said that Stanton, who reported to camp with tennis elbows, is still not doing baseball activities and remains in the rehab/treatment phase. Cashman added it’s “too early to tell” if three rounds of PRP injections have helped the slugger. “I spent some time with him this morning, and he’s in good spirits,” Cashman continued. “Certainly we’re all hopeful that we can get him back down the line, but that’s not in the near-term.” With Stanton out indefinitely and DJ LeMahieu (calf strain) in need of more time and unreliable once healthy, Cashman said the Yankees are “keeping the phone lines open” with regards to external additions. However, he also said “there’s not a lot of heavy-lifting going on in that area” and “this time of year, it’s not easy” to upgrade. Cashman also said, “There’s a lot of teams looking for right-handed balance throughout the game. Not just us.” While not a ringing endorsement, Cashman did say some right-handed choices have “kind of emerged here in camp.” He called Pablo Reyes “the predominant one,” as the non-roster invitee can play all over the diamond, including third, and has had some success against left-handed pitching. Reyes, who was hitting .323 this spring entering Saturday, has also earned admiration from Aaron Boone. Cashman also mentioned Oswald Peraza as someone who is “certainly in the mix,” though the talented defensive infielder hasn’t shown that he can hit in the majors. His poor spring numbers haven’t given anyone reason to think that will change. Peraza is out of minor league options, so he will be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t make the Yankees’ roster. “I definitely see that there’s a role that he can play for us,” Cashman said, but external additions could easily make Peraza expendable. With Trent Grisham and J.C. Escarra set for spots on the bench and Ben Rice factoring into the team’s DH plans — the Yankees seem poised to carry three catchers — Dominic Smith opted out of his deal with the Yankees on Saturday. Cashman clarified that the Yankees have until Tuesday to add Smith to their roster, but the fact that the ex-Met is a left-handed hitter doesn’t help. ...read more read less