NEW YORK — Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia anticipates he will come off the disabled list late next week.

Sabathia went on the DL because of a strained left groin on May 5 and can be activated as soon as May 20.

“It’s only going to be the 15 days, I’m sure,” Sabathia said Wednesday.

The 35-year-old left-hander has been playing catch and said he will throw a bullpen session later this week.

“We won’t really know until he starts really throwing off the mound,” New York Manager Joe Girardi said. “Right now I would say he’s on track.”

Sabathia said he could not have attempted to conceal the injury from the Yankees.

“I needed the treatment,” he said. “There was a lot of bruising down there, so it would have been hard to hide it. I couldn’t have gotten away with it.”

Ivan Nova took Sabathia’s slot in the rotation and did not get a decision Monday against Kansas City, when he allowed one run in 42/3 innings. He is slated to pitch Saturday against the Chicago White Sox and May 19 at Oakland, so Sabathia’s return could be pushed back to the following series against Toronto.

Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, sidelined since Friday because of a strained muscle in his right hip, ran on the dirt between the bases Wednesday and could return toward the end of the current homestand.

Designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, on the DL since May 4 because of a strained right hamstring, could return May 19, the first day the 40-year-old is eligible for reinstatement to the active roster.

TRADE: Atlanta traded right-hander Jhoulys Chacin to the Angels for minor league left-hander Adam McCreery, clearing the path for another young starter to be promoted.

Chacin had been scheduled to start for the Braves on Wednesday, but the Braves have recalled right-hander Williams Perez, 24, from Triple-A Gwinnett to make the start.

Former major leaguer Brandon Laird won’t have to worry about picking up the tab at those pricey bars in Japan for a while.

Laird’s solo homer for the Nippon Ham Fighters on Tuesday not only helped the team beat the Orix Buffaloes 4-0, it also hit a Kirin Beer sign, winning him $10,000 and a year’s supply of beer.

Several signs adorn the walls above the stands in left and right fields at Tokyo Dome, allowing home run hitters to win everything from cars to electronics.

The 28-year-old Laird, who formerly played for the New York Yankees and Houston Astros and is now in his second season in Japan, said he would share the sudsy prize with his teammates.