Takeaways from Brian Cashman, including Luis Severino's return and an update on prospect Jasson Dominguez

Opening Day is less than a month away, which means spring training is in full swing.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke to reporters Friday over Zoom to discuss how he feels things are looking so far down in Florida, and to give a few updates around the organization as well.

Here are some takeaways from Cashman's Zoom call on Friday:

Luis Severino update

Severino is currently rehabbing and working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and although Cashman couldn't give an exact timeline on his return, he said he should be on the mound again "shortly."

"I don't want to give the wrong information, [but] it's going really well," Cashman said on Severino's rehab. ". ... He's due to get on the mound again shortly. ... but I don't have the exact bullpen date."

Top prospect Jasson Dominguez

The now 18-year-old top prospect in the Yankees system is still honing his skills and waiting for his shot to climb the minor league ranks and eventually wear pinstripes. But there's still some time to go until that happens.

"He's like everybody else in the minor league population waiting for a minor league/spring training report time and then seeing where it takes him," Cashman said. "He's now one of many that will be competing for a spot on a roster, and what roster that turns out to be remains to be seen. But all those evaluations will take place when we have a collection of all the talent, including himself.

"We need to get his career going just like a number of the other prospects that we have."

Gleyber Torres in-shape for camp

During the offseason, Cashman called out Torres for showing up to spring training in 2020 out of shape. That does not seem to be the case this year.

"He's in good shape," Cashman said. "I believe everyone's reported in top shape and ready to get after it, so that's a really encouraging circumstance -- that's the way you want it out of the starting gate. It sounds like everybody here for 2021 spring training showed up ready to go."

If the heavily right-handed lineup influenced bringing back Brett Gardner

It wasn't a certainty, but the Yanks decided to bring Gardner  back in free agency and keep the family together. The Yankees have right-handers all throughout their lineup, but they had Gardner in there to mix things up for years.

"That's an area of weakness, the fact that we're so right-handed," Cashman said. ". ... It's certainly a quality that has [Gardner] stand out, but ultimately he is just still a very strong, viable, really an everyday player in most respects...and then the leadership is unquestioned too. He's one of the glues in that clubhouse."