Carlos Guillen to begin rehab assignment Monday at Single-A - MLB

Finally, some positive news for Carlos Guillen.

David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press reports that the veteran infielder has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment and will get things started Monday with Single-A Lakeland.

Guillen has not played in a major league game since undergoing microfracture knee surgery in September of last season and is likely to need over two weeks of minor league at-bats in order to get his timing right. That puts his projected return somewhere around the All-Star break, maybe a little after.

Guillen, 35, is making $13 million this season in the final chapter of a four-year, $48 million extension that he signed with Detroit in March of 2007. He’s hit just .269/.352/.426 with 27 home runs and 129 RBI since the ink dried on that contract. The Tigers will hope for much better down the stretch this summer.

If Guillen gets going and proves capable of handling everyday innings, he should easily steal starting second base duties from Ryan Raburn, who is batting .199/.239/.329 through 64 games this season.

LOS ANGELES — Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson and Tommy Kahnle appear set to rejoin the New York Yankees ahead of their series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York cleared three roster spots, saying that infielder-outfielders Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre along with left-hander Matt Krook after a 1-0 loss at Seattle.

Stanton, Donaldson and Kahnle all played in a rehab game for Double-A Somerset. Stanton was hitless in three at-bats in his first appearance since injuring his left hamstring on April 15.

Donaldson went 1 for 4 in his fourth rehab game as he comes back from a strained right hamstring originally sustained on April 5.

Kahnle pitched one inning, giving up one run and one hit and walking two. He has been out since spring training with right biceps tendinitis.

Boone said he wasn’t concerned about Stanton potentially returning after playing in just one rehab game. He did say that Stanton likely will be a designated hitter for a couple of weeks after rejoining the Yankees.