Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar remained upbeat Tuesday despite facing possible season-ending shoulder surgery.

Andujar said he is optimistic he will be able to return to the field after a few weeks of physical therapy. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Andujar has a “small” tear of the labrum in his right shoulder. Andujar was placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday.

“It’s tough, but at the same time I’m optimistic because my shoulder is strong,” Andujar said through an interpreter Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers. “When they did the physical test on my shoulder, it came back with really good results. My strength is there. The probability of me working through this and getting back on the field is there.”

Boone said the Yankees’ hope is that a few weeks of rest and rehabilitation will allow Andujar to return, but surgery has not been ruled out. If he needs surgery, his season would be over.

Dr. Alexis Colvin, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at the Mount Sinai Health System, said there are many variables when it comes to recovery from a labrum tear, including the location and severity of the tear. She said if the tear is indeed small, as the Yankees have indicated, rest and rehab could get Andujar back on the field.

“Small is the key word here,” Colvin said. “There’s not a lot of information to go from. I don’t think it’s out of the question for them to say let’s see how he feels in the next couple of weeks.”

The injury occurred in Sunday’s loss to the Orioles, when Andujar had to dive back to third base to avoid getting picked off. He landed awkwardly and injured the shoulder.

“When I went back I kind of landed a little weird,” Andujar said. “I felt a little discomfort, but nothing that at the moment I thought it was going to be serious and was going to take me out of a game.”

Andujar, who finished second in the voting for AL Rookie of the Year last season, said he is not focusing on the possibility of needing surgery.

“You don’t want to get too ahead of yourself and start thinking about a second option or surgery and all that stuff,” Andujar said. “Like I said before, I feel strong in my shoulder. The physical tests were good, so that’s encouraging. I feel good. I feel positive. I feel that the first step is the right step, which is to do physical therapy and see where we are in a couple of weeks.”

Colvin said Yankees should be encouraged by Andujar saying his shoulder feels strong and that he did well in tests.

“Those are all really good signs,” Colvin said. “He has a number of factors in his favor. It’s really time will tell with how he responds to rehab.”

Andujar said he is encouraged he was able to finish Sunday’s game. He did not undergo an MRI exam until Monday, when the shoulder was still bothering him.

“I’ve always had this positive mindset since it happened because, like I said before, I feel good,” he said. “I know I have an injury, but at the same time I was able to finish the game and still compete in that game. Now, it’s about following the procedure that we have in place and focusing on that and focusing on doing all that stuff. If I start thinking about the worst possible scenario, there’s still a chance we can go through this and I can get back on the field.”

Dr. Umer Dasti, a sports medicine specialist at Ridgewood Medical Group, said Andujar must be careful not to rush back.

“If he were to return too early or try to play through the tear,” Dasti said. “there’s always the possibility of making it worse.”