NEW YORK -- The hardest-throwing closer in baseball is on the fast track to the Yankees bullpen.
Aroldis Chapman, who's been on the disabled list since May 15 with an inflamed left rotator cuff, is expected to join the team next weekend for the final two games of their series with the Oakland Athletics, manager Joe Girardi said before Saturday's game against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees will begin their California road trip with a three-game set against the Angels before taking on the Athletics for four games.
Chapman threw 18 pitches, touching 98 mph, during a simulated inning in Tampa early Saturday, Girardi said.