Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

Phelps Update: X-rays Negative

2013-05-24T23:47:00.001-04:00

David Phelps had to leave tonight's win over the Rays in the 8th inning after being hit on the arm by a line drive. Luckily, the x-rays were negative and the Yankees are saying it's just a right forearm contusion. As of now, his status for his next start remains unclear.

Granderson Out At Least Four Weeks With Broken Pinky

2013-05-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

In 8 games since returning from his first DL stint, Granderson was hitting .250 with a homer and an RBI, along with six strike outs.

Pineda Getting Closer

2013-05-24T13:07:00.000-04:00

From Andy McCullough:

Pineda, a 24-year-old righty, threw five innings in an extended-spring game at the team’s minor-league complex in Tampa, Fla. His fastball velocity sat at 93 mph, general manager Brian Cashman said. After one more game at the complex, Pineda could begin a rehabilitation assignment, a 30-day jaunt that could lead him to the majors.

“I’m happy so far that he’s healthy,” Cashman said. “But he’s obviously got a ways to go. We’ll see. But so far so good.”

... The velocity on Thursday was encouraging: Pineda sat at 94.7 mph during his rookie season in 2011, according to FanGraphs. But Cashman cannot count on him just yet.

“He’s pitching in chain-link baseball right now, the extended-spring program,” Cashman said. “It’s good that he’s got a healthy arm and stuff. But he hasn’t gotten into the minors leagues, and he’s hasn’t moved up the ladder yet, with the higher competition. Until he’s an active player, he’s got hurdles.”

Great news. If Pineda can be the guy he was in Seattle, the Yankees will really have a starting rotation few teams can match. Add that to the great start the team has had and the injured offensive players coming back, and the Yankees may be ready to steamroll this division.

Speaking of that rotation, Andy Pettitte is working his way back from the DL. He played catch for the first time and reportedly felt "really good". He will throw again today.

Tex Could Begin Rehab Assignment on Tuesday

2013-05-24T12:39:00.001-04:00

Granderson is in the Lineup, Hafner Going For MRI

2013-05-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

Here's tonight's Yankees lineup:

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells DH
Curtis Granderson LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Jayson Nix SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Chris Nelson 3B
Austin Romine C

CC Sabathia P

Also, Travis Hafner is experience some soreness in his right shoulder and is headed for an MRI. Expect him to miss at least a few game.

Granderson Activated

2013-05-14T15:17:00.002-04:00

Curtis Granderson has been activated and I assume will be available tonight. Vidal Nuno has been optioned to Scranton to make room on the roster.

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2013-05-14T15:04:00.001-04:00

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Granderson On His Way To The Bronx

2013-05-14T12:12:00.001-04:00

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Mo: Everything With Joba is Fine

2013-05-13T12:01:00.001-04:00

From Wallace Matthews:

The New York Yankees say they are one big happy family again, a day after middle reliever Joba Chamberlain publicly warned Mariano Rivera not to "shush'' him.

"We did talk,'' Rivera said Sunday morning. "It's good. Sometimes you have little things that we say that we don't mean. We're a family here. It's something that we take care of in house. Unfortunately it happened in front of you guys, but again, it shouldn't happen. We apologize and we move on.''

Chamberlain denied that he had apologized to Rivera -- "There's no need to apologize. For what?'' -- but said he and Rivera had "joked and laughed'' afterward.

"It's over with, it's done, it's really not an issue in the first place,'' Chamberlain said.

If you don't know, here's a summary of what happened:

The incident happened in the visitors dugout shortly before Saturday night's game between the Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. Rivera, who was conducting an interview with a small group of reporters about his meeting earlier in the day with the family of a young boy killed in an airport accident, asked Chamberlain to lower his voice because he could not hear the questions being asked.

"Joba, yo, bro, bro,'' Rivera could be heard saying to Chamberlain on a tape of the interview played for ESPNNewYork.com.

"Suave,'' Rivera said, using the Spanish word for soft, while making a palms-down gesture with his hands, according to eyewitnesses.

"You do this every day,'' replied Chamberlain, who apparently was trying to talk to some family members in the stands near the Yankees dugout at the time. "I don't see my family every day.''

Rivera could be heard chuckling on the tape, and continued the interview. But afterward, he was approached by Chamberlain, who said, "Don't ever shush me again.''

According to witnesses, Rivera tried to laugh that off, too, but a stony-faced Chamberlain repeated, in tones that contained a hint of threat, "No, seriously. Don't ever shush me again.''

Joba's an idiot, but at least it's all forgotten now.

Tonight's Lineup and Some Injury Updates

2013-05-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Here's tonight's lineup:

Brett Gardner CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Vernon Wells LF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Jayson Nix SS
Chris Nelson 3B
David Phelps P
Austin Romine C

Since that was somewhat depressing, here's some better news on some injured Yankees:

David Robertson is ready to return.

Ivan Nova is also on his way back from that inflamed right triceps. He will pitch in an extended spring training game and if there are no problems could join the team in Cleveland.

In the same NY Post article linked above it was reported that Mark Teixeira will test his right wrist with on-the-field batting practice this Friday. He's already hit off the tee and taken grounders. Curtis Granderson had five at-bats in an extended spring training game. Both are still probably a month away, maybe less. And Francisco Cervelli is going to have his cast removed soon and will resume baseball activities in five weeks.

Things are ugly right now as far as the roster goes, but with the Yankees 5 games above .500 I think we all should be pretty happy with where this team is right now.

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