Tulo getting reps at 3B with Andujar injured; Gregorius on the mend

Troy Tulowitzki could shift off the shortstop position after all.

Tulowitzki has taken grounders at both shortstop and third base at the New York Yankees' training complex while recovering from a left calf strain that has kept him sidelined since early April, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.

The five-time All-Star has never played a major-league game in the field anywhere other than at shortstop. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, the experiment was Tulowitzki's idea.

"He proactively came to me and said, 'I'll do whatever I need to do.' If that means taking ground balls at different spots to add to his versatility a little bit," said Boone. "That was something that he wanted to make sure he initiated with us."

Tulowitzki, 34, joined the Yankees this past winter after the Toronto Blue Jays released him with $38 million remaining on his contract. He had previously said he was unwilling to switch positions, stating he would finish his career as a shortstop.

"One thing that I always said since I stepped foot on a big-league field is that I'll start this thing as a shortstop and I'll finish it as a shortstop," he stated in August 2017.

But the Yankees have a clear need at the hot corner as the incumbent shortstop inches closer to taking the field. Third baseman and 2018 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Miguel Andujar required surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the 2019 season.

Meanwhile, Didi Gregorius, who needed Tommy John surgery last year, is making strides. The 29-year-old shortstop recently played in extended spring training, playing five innings of defense and going 2-for-4 with two singles and one walk. Boone said Gregorius may be able to begin a rehab assignment in High-A Tampa by the end of the week, according to Harvey.

Tulowitzki has played more than 130 games just once in the past seven seasons. He's authored a .290/.361/.495 slash line over his 13-year career.