My Pinstripes

Rain Out Theater - Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:10:00 +0000

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was just one of the many A & B movies or TV episodes that WPIX (Channel 11) would show back in the 1970s when the Yankees got rained out on a Sunday afternoon.

The YES Network generally shows Centerstage or a Yankees classic. Childhood is gone.

The Yankees finished the homestand 3-2 and take the road for a big trip through the AL East against the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays. Then it's back home for the Mets and Boston Red Sox.

CC Sabathia, Sunday's scheduled pitcher, will start the series out in Baltimore against a yet to be named starter. Sabathia is 17-4, 3.00 in 26 career starts against the Orioles.

Phelps Shows He Belongs

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:29:00 +0000

The Toronto Blue Jays haven't exactly been tearing the cover off of the baseball in a season in which many picked them to win or place in the AL East horse race. David Phelps' performance against them on Saturday should not be diminished by the fact that the Blue Jays record fell to 17-26 and they are the current owners of the AL East basement.

Phelps shook off some early inning control issues and threw a career high seven innings to improve to 2-2 on the season. Phelps will never be talked about in the same sentence with Stephen Strasburg or Justin Verlander, and that's all right. Phelps may get compared to a Mike Mussina; a guy that can dominate without firing upper 90s fastballs (He was around 90-91 mph all day Saturday) to the catcher's mitt.

While Robinson Cano (two) and Travis Hafner provided 2-run home runs in the 7-2 win, Phelps was steady and followed his plan just about to the letter. He's a guy that knows what he's doing on the mound, clearly a pitcher and not a thrower.

The University of Notre Dame product started out by facing five hitters in the first inning without one putting the ball in play. He struck out lead off hitter Melky Cabrera on a curveball that broke so hard in on the former Yankee, that it hit Cabrera in the ankle as he couldn't check his swing. His curveball and slider broke too much for right-handed hitters Jose Bautista and Edward Encarnacion, both of whom he walked.

Phelps came back and struck out catcher J.P. Arencibia, then spun around to pick Bautista off a second base with Adam Lind in the batter's box. Phelps scattered six hits the rest of the way, walked just one more hitter and finished with eight strikeouts.

The Yankees didn't take Phelps until the 14th round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft, and while some of the top tier prospects in the organization have been slow to rise up through the ranks, Phelps has quietly gone about his business and succeeded.

Yesterday was his fourth straight start since Ivan Nova was put on the disabled list. The two competed in Spring Training for the fifth spot in the rotation and though Phelps performed better, Nova won the job based on his track record and Phelps' ability to fill the Ramiro Mendoza swing man role. Nova has been fragile and inconsistent the last two years though and Phelps is doing his best to stake a claim in the rotation. With Andy Pettitte out, Nova should join Phelps in the once he returns from the DL. What happens when Pettitte returns will be determined at that time.

In the meantime Phelps will just keep trying to get better as he has done with each of his four starts. He allowed four runs in 5.2 innings against a weak hitting Houston Astros team, but didn't figure in the decision as the Yankees won. He didn't come out with a win his next time out either in the Yankees 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies, but he limited the opposition to two runs and three hits in six innings.

Phelps was a hard luck loser when the Cleveland Indians won the opener of this past Monday's twinbill, 2-1. The five walks Phelps issued were unusual, but he struck out seven and allowed one run in 6.2 innings. The Yankees will certainly take three wins out of every four of Phelps' starts. (His other win came in a four inning relief apperance, also against the Blue Jays.) Now they just need to let him take the ball every fifth day.

Yankees Acquire Reid Brignac from Rockies

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:59:00 +0000

The revolving door continues in the Bronx..Jon Heyman reports that.utility infielder Reid Brignac has been acquired by the Yankees for cash considerations. Alberto Gonzalez, reacquired on May 9, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Brignac was once considered a solid prospect as he climbed the ladder of the Tampa Bay Rays organization, but his bat never caught up to his glove. He played parts of five seasons with the Rays with the 2010 campaign his Major League best. He hit 8 HR and drove in 45 in 326 plate appearances, but his .692 OPS was less than stellar.

Brignac stock fell drastically after that when he was beset with injuries and put up a .448 OPS in 2011. The Rays shipped him to Colorado prior to this season for cash or a player to be named later. His slash line of .250/.294/.375 made him expendable.

The highlight of Gonzalez's brief second stint in New York was the chance to take the mound. He retired the one batter he faced when the Seattle Mariners drubbed the Yankees on Wednesday.

Score First, Ask Questions Later

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:43:00 +0000

Scoring first in the 6th game of the 2009 World Series was muy bueno.

Interesting stat from the Elias Sports Bureau. With the Yankees and Hiroki Kuroda's 5-0 blanking of the Toronto Blue Jays last night, the Yankees became the first team to go 17-0 at the start of a season when they take the first lead of the game.

It's the longest streak since the 1992 Mets started 18-0 in "score first" games under manager Jeff Torborg. Unfortunately for the Mets, they only won 54 other games that year. The Yankees hope to avoid a similar fate.

Pettitte DL Bound

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:52:00 +0000

The speculation is over, Andy Pettitte is going on the 15-Day DL and Vidal Nuno is doing an about face and coming back to the Bronx.

Pettitte felt discomfort in his trapezius (upper back) muscle during Thursday night's start with Seattle and left before the end of the 5th inning. Nuno will take Pettitte's turn in the rotation, at least until Ivan Nova returns. (Nova could take the place of Nuno or David Phelps.)

Chris Stewart will be on the bench tonight and can play in a pinch. Alberto Gonzalez is the emergency third string catcher (which means he's praying not to have to catch.) No word if Brian Cashman is looking around for a suitable back up if Stewart doesn't feel better soon.

Everybody Hurts...All the Time

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:10:00 +0000

"Can someone untie my shoes?"

If REM had been singing about the Yankees the lyric would not have been "Everybody hurts sometimes." The Yankees not only lost a game to Seattle last night 3-2, which caused mental anguish from losing two of three to the Mariners, but Andy Pettitte and Chris Stewart both had to leave the game early.

Pettitte felt spasms in his upper back that wouldn't go away no matter how much he stretched between batters and pitches. He left the game after 4.2 innings pitched and saw his record fall to 4-3. He's already missed one start due to a balky back so there is a definite reason for concern.

His battery mate, Stewart, left the game after he felt pain in his groin running the bases. He went for an MRI and could land on the DL, which presents a problem. There are only three catchers on the 40-man roster - Stewart, Francisco Cervelli already on the DL, and Austine Romine, who has served as Stewart's back up.

Scranton has two catchers- veteran Bobby Wilson (decent glove/no bat, 191 games with the Angels) and Jeff Farnham, a 25-year old that has played just seven games at the Triple-A level. If Wilson were added, someone on the 40-man roster would have to be designated for assignment. It likely would be the end of the line for Ben Francisco, who has just five hits in 40 at-bats.

Pettitte is the bigger concern right now. The Yankees need a healthy, consistent Pettitte taking the mound every five days if they are to compete. The Texan has become much more of an injury risk the last few years. He missed chunks of time with a groin injury in 2010 and a broken ankle last season. It would be no surprise if, at the very least, Pettitte missed his next start. It's possible Ivan Nova will be ready to rejoin the team by then.

The Mariners also had to deal with an injury last night when Pettitte's opponent, Aaron Harang, was scratched from his start due to a stiff back. Former Yankee Hector Noesi, a piece of the puzzle in the Jesus Montero-Michael Pineda deal, stepped in and stepped up. Though he didn't figure in the decision, Noesi limited the Yankees to one unearned run and three hits in 4.1 innings pitched.

Oliver Perez, the former Met, picked up the win after he struck out three batters in 1.1 innings pitched. Mike Morse hit his 10th home run if the season (off of Shawn Kelley) and scored twice. Yankees rookie David Adams picked up his Major League RBI when he doubled home Curtis Granderson in the 2nd inning to tie the game at one apiece.

Robinson Cano singled in a run in the 7th, but couldn't come through in the clutch in the 9th inning against closer Tom Wilhelmsen. Brett Gardner reached first on a single and stole second and third. But with one out and the tying run 90 ft away from home plate, Wilhelmsen struck out Jayson Nix and retired Cano on a game ending ground out.

Betances Joins Bullpen Shuffle

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Yankees fans have heard about Dellin Betances' potential ever since the 6'8" hard throwing right-hander was selected in the 8th round of the 2006 MLB amateur draft. Unfortunately, he has struggled to meet the expectations and was recently converted from a starting pitcher to a full-time reliever. Despite pitching just twice in the pen this season, Betances has been recalled by the Yankees to join their bullpen.

The Yankees needed another reliever after Brett Marshall threw 108 pitches and Preston Claiborne pitched 2.1 innings in mopping up the mess Phil Hughes created against Seattle on Wednesday night. The Yankees were hopeful that Joba Chamberlain would be ready to come off the DL, but his oblique injury is apparently still an issue.

The decision to move Betances to the bullpen for good came after the 25-year old allowed 16 earned runs and walked 16 batters in 24 innings (six starts) at Triple-A Scranton. In his two relief appearances since then Betances has allowed one run in 4.1 innings pitched, walked just one batter and struck out four.

Despite his control issues, Betances worked his way up the minor league chain. I was at his Double-A debut for Trenton in 2010 and saw the good and the bad of his game. I recall him missing the catcher's target, his ability to blow his fastball by batters, an awkardness that led to two throwing errors on pickoff attempts, and an intimidating presence on the mound. But his ability and the sound of his pitches popping in catcher Austin Romine's glove sent an electricity through the crowd, quite a few of whom were friends and family of the Big Apple native.

Betances got a late September call up in 2011 and made a less than an impresssive debut against Tampa Bay. He allowed a pair of runs and walked four in just two-thirds of an inning. Six days later he faced the Rays again and pitched two scoreless innings with a walk and a hit allowed and struck out two.

Adams Coming to the Rasta, Mon

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:01:00 +0000

No, David Adams isn't Jamaican, but I am tired. Per a tweet Trenton Thunder beat writer Josh Norris (@jnorris427), Mr. Adams is headed to the Bronx today, the first day he was eligible to be recalled from the minor leaguers.

The Yankees front office has always like the second baseman's bat and they moved him over to third base to have a better chance of helping the big ball club.

Adams was designated for assignment this spring to make room for Vernon Wells on the 40-man roster and then he was re-signed to a minor league deal. MLB stipulations state that in such cases the player may not be recalled until May 15.

Today is May 15 so Adams is on his way. Now a 40-man roster space needs to be opened up for him. It's likely that either Chris Nelson or newly reacquired Alberto Gonzalez will be designated for assignment. Nelson is more likely to get the boot since Gonzalez is the only player other than Jayson Nix right now that can play shortstop and a Nelson plays the same positions as Adams.

Adams was quickly making his way through the farm system until he badly broke his ankle in 2010. Through 27 games at Triple-A Scranton this year, Adams has an .897 OPS with 3 HR and 12 RBI.

To learn more on Adams, click here to read the interview I did with him in 2009.

Grandy Ready to Clean Up, Nuno Demoted

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:19:00 +0000

Curtis Granderson is back in familiar surroundings, though not as familiar as they once were. Penciled into the lineup as the clean up hitter in his return against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, Granderson is in left field instead of his accustomed center field spot.

It's not surprising that Joe Girardi decided to keep Brett Gardner in the middle of the outfield since he's the better defender. It's just the 23rd game of a nine year career for Granderson in left field. Offensively, he's 5-20 with two extra base hits when positioned on the left side.

To make room on the 25-man roster Vidal Nuno was sent down to Scranton in an expected move. Since he was not going to be available for five days it made sense.

There may be another roster spot opening up soon; it was bound to happen at some point, just like it did with Kevin Youkilis. The injury bug has taken a bit out of Travis Hafner. The Yankees DH has struggled of late and it may be in part due to soreness in his right shoulder. He's headed for an MRI and further examination.

Grandy is New York Bound

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:30:00 +0000

Curtis Granderson let the Yankees fans on Twitter and Facebook know tonight that he's headed to the big ball yard in the Bronx.

‏@cgrand1417m

Just finished 5 games with @swbrailriders now in the car on the way back to NY #RoadToRecovery

Here comes some more offense.

The Kids Are Hot Tonight: Nuno, Warren Earn Split

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:24:00 +0000

When you've got Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Kevin Youkilis missing from your everyday lineup, people need to step up their game. It's not just the seasoned veterans, but the youngsters as well. Pitchers Vidal Nuno and Adam Warren did just that Monday afternoon to lead the Yankees to a 7-0 win and a split of a "true" doubleheader with Cleveland Indians.

Another youngster, David Phelps, was outstanding in Game 1,but lost 1-0 to Justin Masteron. A Jason Kipnis first inning home run was the only damage done to the Yankees pitching. Nuno and Warren topped that performance by combining on a shutout that gave Nuno his first Major League win and Warren his first Major League save.

Nuno was outstanding in Spring Training and there was talk that he could make the team as a lefty reliever out of the bullpen. Having not pitched above Double-A, the Yankees felt it was better to have Nuno start every fifth day at Triple-A Scranton. Last month I spoke with Scranton RailRiders beat writer Donnie Collins who had this to say about Nuno: "He started tonight. I think he's a starter. Doesn't have great reliever splits."

Nuno threw 14.2 innings in the exhibition season and allowed just one earned run, 12 hits and four walks, while he struck out 13. He had made four starts for Scranton this season and was equally good. 23.1 innings pitched, four earned runs, 13 hits, two walks, and 26 strikeouts. That translated to a 1.54 ERA, a league batting average of .157 against him, and a 0.64 WHIP.

The California native threw five innings in frigid Cleveland today and left with a 1-0 lead. He allowed three hits, three walks, and struck out three. Warren came on in the 6th and continued his impressive first month-plus in the big leagues. In a post last week I talked about how he has turned a lot of heads, including my own, after being so solid in the wake of a horrible Spring Training and a poor showing when he got called up for a cup of coffee last year.

Warren's allowed three runs in 18.2 innings, 14 hits, six walks, and has struck out 15. Today's outing lowered his ERA to 1.45 and his WHIP to 1.07. It was his third appearance of three innings or more innings as he continues to give the bullpen a break.

Nuno and Warren had to be spot on due to the Yankees lack of offense. After being shut out in the opener the Yankees managed to score just a single run (on Vernon Wells' RBI ground out) through the first six innings. Then the kiddie corps got it going again in the 7th inning. Corban Joseph, called up only because teams can add a 26th player for a doubleheader, reached on a lead off double. It was Joseph's first Major League hit. Austin Romine followed with a double of his own off start Trevor Bauer to pick up his first Major League RBI. You catching the theme here?

Jayson Nix, Wells, and Lyle Overbay each contributed RBI hits against to break things open against the Indians pen.

It was an especially big win after the Yankees had their four game winning streak snapped in the first game and with the prospect of having to face Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Notes

Wells is 10-26 (.385) over his last seven games with 3 HR and 9 RBI.

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:31:00 +0000

Curtis Granderson is within reach of playing his first Major League game of the season. The Grandyman has been out since the first game of Spring Training after a pitch from J.A. Happ broke Granderson's right forearm.

Granderson took swings in extended Spring Training before he reported to Triple-A Scranton to get in game shape. As of Monday morning, Granderson was 7-17 (.412) in the four games he played for the Railriders with a home run and three RBI. It's possible Granderson could join the team at the start of the six game homestand that begins with Seattle on Tuesday. Brennan Boesch was sent to the minor leagues before the second game of Monday's doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians so the Yankees will need another
outfielder soon.

Oddly (to me) Yankees fans seem to be split over whether they want Granderson back or not. I can't understand how you would not want him back. There's no question that outside of the respectable .811 OPS he put up and the career high 43 home run he hit in 2012, Granderson had a bad season at the plate. He hit hit a career low .232 and struck out a career high 195 times. Before coming to New York, Granderson had a reputation for not being able to hit left-handers. Last year he struggled against righties and lefties.

Granderson is a guy that's easy to root for - he's a stand up guy with the press, a great ambassador for the game and for the team, a great role model for kids, his teammates like him, and oh yeah, he's a talented ball player. Fans point to his lack of production in the post-season - he's had only eight hits in his last 50 post-season at-bats and was a horrid 3-30 last year when the Yankees as a team did not hit - but Granderson is one of the guys (like Teixeira, like Nick Swisher) that gets you to the post-season.

Some people have forgotten about the MVP-type season Granderson had in the 2011 after hard work and adjustments made with hitting coach Kevin Long sent him to the second All-Star game of his then eight year career. Granderson's power was just as good as in 2012 when he hit 41 home runs, but the Illinois native also had 26 doubles, 10 triples, 25 stolen bases, 85 walks, a .916 OPS and led the AL with 136 runs scored and 119 driven in.

Granderson, like Teixeira, appears to have become pull happy in new Yankee Stadium. (Partial blame has to fall on Long in my opinion.) Granderson was unable to counteract the adjustments (different pitching approach, right side shifts) made by the opposition last year. His swing had too much of an uppercut and it appeared he attempted to hit one over the short porch in right field every time up.

With the new salary limits put in place by the front office, it's likely the Yankees will let Granderson walk after this season. The 32-year old is in the final year of the six year, $43.25 contract he originally signed while a member of the Detroit Tigers (The Yankees picked up his $15MM option for 2013.). Brett Gardner has taken over in centerfield and it appears he'll stay there when Granderson returns from the DL.

The Yankees also expect youngsters Mason Williams, Melky Mesa, Zoilo Almonte, and Slade Heathcott to make an impact in the Major Leagues soon .

Some fans though want Granderson gone before the end of the year and that's something I don't understand at all.

It's amazing how having a winning record and (surprisingly) being in sole possession of first place (entering Monday's play) in mid-May can change your attitude/mind on things. Fans who complained about the acquisition of Vernon Wells, Travis Hafner, etc., suddenly don't want to mess with the mix. Based on their track record, can you trust that Wells and Hafner will continue to produce and continue to be healthy? Kevin Youkilis is already out indefinitely with a back issue. Ichiro Suzuki has struggled at the plate so far. Would you rather have Boesch and/or Ben Francisco on your team than Curtis Granderson?

Most importantly, the team is winning because of the pitching and clutch hitting. If the hitters go into a slump, the team can still win with pitching. The present Yankees lineup is not one that can overcome poor pitching. So even though he has struggled in the post-season, do you really want to diminish an offense that is not an 'A' list lineup?

I don't think so.

Yankees Juggling Roster Like a Street Performer

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:40:00 +0000

Brett Marshall now in "The Show"

Monday's doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians created some roster changes for the Yankees. Second baseman Corban Joseph was recalled with the "26 man" rule - you can add a 26th player to your roster if there's a doubleheader, but the player must get sent back to the minors afterwards.

Since it's an additional player and Joseph was already on the 40-man roster, no corresponding move needed to be made. Joseph played first base to give Lyle Overbay a rest and did a nice job defensively. He started at second base in the second game with Robinson Cano getting a partial game off as DH.

To help the bullpen out, Brett Marshall was called up to be a potential long man for Game 2. The Yankees sent outfielder Brennan Boesch down to Scranton. Of his 96 career minor league appearances Marshall has pitched in relief just twice. The 23-year old was 2-2, 4.60 in six starts this season, his first, at Triple-A Scranton.

Boesch was picked up in Spring Training after he was released by the Detroit Tigers. A good power hitter, Boesch will wildly inconsistent while he played in the Motor City. Boesch had just 41 plate appearances in 19 games and produced just two home runs, five RBI, one double, and one triple. He started just 10 games this season, including the first game of the doubleheader, and produced a .680 OPS.

It's possible that Curtis Granderson, who has swung the bat well in Scranton, could be recalled from his rehab stint (from the broken arm he suffered in Spring Training) to take Boesch's place.

David Phelps pitched his heart out in Monday's opener, a Jason Kipnis home run the only run he allowed in 6.2 innings pitched. The Yankees couldn't muster anything against Indians starter Justin Masterson and were shutout for the third time in May, 1-0. The prior two losses were both 2-0 scores to Oakland and Colorado.

Vidal Nuno made his first Major League start in the Game 2 against Trevor Bauer.

Yankees Finally DL Nunez, Recall the Attorney General

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:05:00 +0000

The Yankees gave Eduardo Nunez every opportunity to avoid going on the disabled list with a strain in his rib cage, but after he still felt soreness after a workout Saturday, Nunez was indeed placed on the 15-Day DL.

Nunez will be eligible to be activated on May 21 since he was DL'ed retroactively to May 6. Alberto Gonzalez, just reacquired from the Chicago Cubs, was recalled to take his place on the 25-man roster.

Mark Teixeira was moved to the 60-Day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

Pettitte Gets Back on Track; Yankees Alone in 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Andy Pettitte was just plain horrible in back to back starts against the Houston Astros and Oakland A's that preceded Saturday night's contest with Kansas City. 10 earned runs, 14 hits, and five walks allowed in just 9.1 innings pitched. Needless to say the Yankees lost both games, though Pettitte only figured in the decision against the Astros.

It was a worrisome pair of outings, particularly after Pettitte had a start pushed back to balky back. But have no fear, good ol' Andy is here. Pettitte was back on track in Kansas City last night with seven efficient innings and his 4th win in a 3-2 victory over the Royals.

Pettitte needed a good start, especially after his son Josh recently pitched his second high school no-hitter of the year. 68 of Pettitte's 100 pitches were for strikes, which helped him to seven strikeouts and just one walk. He was staked to a 1-0 lead, but when Billy Butler blasted a solo home run in the 4th inning, Pettitte was in a 2-1 hole. Glove in front of his face, eyes glaring at catcher Chris Stewart's mitt, Pettitte wasn't about to allow any more runs. With his cutter in tact, Pettitte allowed just two more Royals to reach base.

Meanwhile the Yankees were up against James Shields, one of the better right-handers in baseball...except when it comes to the Yankees. With a man aboard in the 5th inning, Shields served up a pitch on a silver platter to Vernon Wells, who smacked it out for his 8th home run of the year. That's all Pettitte and the pen needed.

David Robertson struck out the side in the 8th inning on 12 pitches and Mariano Rivera picked up his 14th save in as many tries after he allowed a two-out double to Salvador Perez in the 9th.

You can bet Joe Girardi breathed a sigh of relief after he saw his old battery mate Pettitte pitch like his old self.

Notes

Jayson Nix has always had home run pop in his bat, but never had much to show when it came to batting average and OPS. The Royals must think he's Ty Cobb though - in the two games, Nix has four hits, a pair of walks, and was hit by a pitch in nine plate appearances.

Pettitte has won his last 10 starts vs. the Royals.

Yankees Pull Great Prank on Mariano

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:57:00 +0000

Mariano Rivera is back in Kansas City for the first time since he tore the ACL in his right knee shagging fly balls in the outfield a year ago.

To welcome him back, his teammates pulled a great prank on him as evidenced by the photo below from mlb.com.

Returning to the Scene of the Ouch and Other Injury Related News

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:32:00 +0000

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey's face said it all last May.

On May 3 of last year Yankees fans saw something that nearly made them all hurl. It was Mariano Rivera writhing around in agony on the warning track in Kansas City's Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. Baseball's all-time greatest closer was in the midst of his normal pre-game ritual of shagging fly balls during batting practice when he went down in a heap.

Several minutes later Rivera was carted off the field with a torn ACL in his right knee. Just 25 games into the 2012 season, Rivera's season was over after just nine appearances and five saves. One year and one week later, the Yankees and Rivera are back in Kansas City for a three game series with the Royals.

Rivera underwent surgery in July and successfully rehabbed in time for the start of the 2013 season. At the moment he leads the American League with 13 saves in 15 games pitched. He's struck out 12 and walked just two in 14.1 innings, and allowed three earned runs (1.88). In other words he's having a Mariano Rivera-type season in this, his final season.

Rivera has returned to his pre-game ritual this season, but Joe Girardi has noticed that Rivera doesn't go after baseballs as hard as he used to. He half-jokingly added, "I'm not going to challenge him on it."

Rivera wasn't the only one that had issues in Kansas City last season. Robinson Cano was booed mercilessly after he did not select the Royals' Billy Butler to participate in the 2012 All-Star home run derby. To make matters worse, the game was actually in Kansas City. The fans went too far in my opinion and were pretty damn obnoxious, especially since it was an All-Star event and not the regular season.

Whether or not it affected Cano, the defending champion, was unclear, but he made a very early exit from the contest. Cano can get even by continuing the success he has had against KC - an .839 OPS 7 HR 39 RBI in 60 games.

I'll get back to the injuries in a moment, but first and I mean first, let's talk about the AL East standings on this fine Friday. Right there in the paper, on your internet, on your iPhone app, was the New York Yankees sitting atop the American League East division. Technically, it's a three way tie (NY 20-13, Bal, Bos 21-14) between the Yankees, Orioles, and suddenly floundering Red Sox, but the Yankees have a .006 percentage lead. Boo hiss to one of my favorite sites - baseball-reference.com - which put the standings in alphabetical order. That's not the way it works boys.

Okay, back to the walking wounded- Curtis Granderson went 1-3 Thursday night as a member of the Yankees Triple 'A' Scranton RailRiders. (Months later the team name still stinks.) The plan is for Granderson, who played right field last night, to play all three outfield positions while he completes his rehab from the broken forearm he got in the first Spring Training game of the season.

Eduardo Nunez is feeling better, but still cannot swing a bat due to soreness in his rib cage/oblique area. If the Yankees have to DL Nunez it can be back dated to May 6, which would make him eligible for activation on the 20th of May.

As a precaution the Yankees have brought back the attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez. The utility infielder was a member of the Yankees organization for 2007 and part of 2008. He was acquired from Arizona when the Yankees sent Randy Johnson back to the desert in January, 2007, and then was dealt to the Nationals at the 2008 trade deadline for pitcher Jhonny Nunez. (Nunez was part of the package later sent to Chicago for Nick Swisher.) The Yankees will send a player to be named later or cash to the Chicago Cubs for Gonzalez, who will report to Scranton.

Ivan Nova remains on track to start in one of Monday's doubleheader make up games with the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees will then head to the Bronx for a six game homestand with the Mariners and Blue Jays.

Girardi is optimistic that Joba Chamberlain will be able to return on time when he's eligible to be activated this coming Tuesday. He backed away a little bit from the statement by adding that you never know with oblique injuries.

Warren Warrants Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Warren's performance in 2013 has given him something to smile about.

I'll be the first to admit I did not see what all the hype was about when Adam Warren pitched for the Yankees at the end of last season and in Spring Training this year. He was shelled by whatever teams he faced. And Yankees top pitching prospects haven't exactly panned out lately or moved along as quickly as we were told they would. (In fairness, it's much harder to predict a pitcher's progress than a hitter's progress.)

On a team beset by injuries and doing whatever it takes to win, Warren has stepped up. Thursday afternoon in Colorado he picked up his first Major League win after a long rain delay deprived starter CC Sabathia from continuing in the game.

Warren has never been ranked in Baseball America's top 100 prospects or MLB's top 50 prospects, but the Yankees organization has been very high on him since his performances at Single-A Tampa (2.22 ERA, 1.099 WHIP) and Double-A Trenton (3.15, 1.196) in 2010. A fourth round selection out of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2009, Warren got a call to the bigs last year and made one forgettable start in Major League debut.

Pitching in front of his home crowd, Warren got hammered by the Chicago White Sox to the tune of six earned runs and eight hits, including two home runs, in just 2.1 innings pitched. He got saddled in what turned out to be a 14-7 loss. Some pitchers never bounce back from that and others never get a chance to return to the Major Leagues (it was Warren's only Major League appearance in 2012.)

Warren's ascent to the Majors this year could not have been predicted after he allowed 16 earned runs, 24 hits and 10 walks in 17.2 innings pitched in Spring Training. In fact I thought he would be designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for last minute additions like Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay. But Warren headed north with the big ball club as the long man out of the pen, and he has made the most of his opportunity.

In Thursday's game with the Rockies, Warren entered the 5th inning after a nearly two hour rain delay with the task of holding a 2-1 lead until the Yankees could get to set up man David Robertson and closer Mariano Rivera. He needed just seven pitches, only one a fastball, to set the side down in order. The 6th inning was a little trickier; it took Warren more pitches just to retire the lead off hitter Adam Ottavino.

Warren needed just two pitches, a 79-mph curveball and a 92-mph cutter to get Eric Young Jr. to ground out for the second out of the inning. Things got tougher after that when Warren had to face Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki. Relying on his 90-92-mph fastball, Warren walked both hitters and was sent to the showers by manager Joe Girardi. Boone Logan stranded the runners and the Yankees went on for a 3-1 victory, the first win of Warren's Major League career.

Though it may have "only" been five outs, Warren did what the Yankees needed him to do, much like he has all year. In six appearances, Warren has limited the opposition to three runs (1.84 ERA) and 12 hits in 14.2 innings pitched. He still needs to work on his control, the six walks he has issued is three or four too many, but the 25-year old has done what has been asked of him. Keep your team in the game or mop up and save the bullpen for another day is his unwritten mission statement.

No games exemplified Warren's contribution more than the 5.1 innings of one run ball he tossed against Boston in the second game of the season (a 7-4 Yankees loss), three scoreless innings in the team's 2-0 loss to the A's last Friday, and yesterday's "get some outs" assignment. Though he may never make it as a starter in the league, Warren has certainly found his niche.

Notes

CC Sabathia was pitching beautifully - one run and one hit allowed in four innings pitched until the skies opened up for a one hour and 59 minute rain delay. It was one of Sabathia's most efficient performances this season - only 51 pitches thrown, 37 of them for strikes.

Robinson Cano picked up his 1,500th hit in the game on an infield single and later hit his 9th home run to give the Yankees an insurance run. Trainer Steve Donahue marked the milestone baseball and then, at Girardi's behest, marked up another ball with an undisclosed inscription on it. Cano got a good laugh from whatever was written as Girardi, Donahue, and his teammates looked on.

Cano Halfway to 3K

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:21:00 +0000

1,500 down, 1,500 to go

He's still a long way off from the possibility of becoming the second Yankee player to get 3,000 hits, but Robinson Cano picked up hit # 1,500 Thursday afternoon against Rockies' starter Jeff Francis.

Cano, of course, has to remain a Yankee after this season to even become the only player other than Derek Jeter to reach 3,000. The free agent turned down an offer during Spring Training and there has been no public discussion of any on-going talks.

Last year Cano came within four hits short of a third 200-hit season, something he accomplished in 2009-2010. He'll need a few more of those to reach 3,000.

Sometimes You Can't Go to the Wells Once Too Often

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:02:00 +0000

"Brooks" Wells

Vernon Wells was a one man wrecking crew in the Yankees 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies last night. Wells homered, singled twice, stole a base, and scored what proved to be the winning run. All of that might not have mattered if Wells hadn't grabbed an infielder's glove and manned the hot corner in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The game was tied at two apiece in the top of the 9th after Wells and the Rockies' Todd Helton hit 2-run home runs earlier in the game. Wells led off the inning with his third hit of the game and then stole second base.

With everyone thinking bunt, closer Rafael Betancourt walked Lyle Overbay. The bunt was on for sure after that and Ichiro Suzuki complied with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Jayson Nix was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base and led to a big decision by Joe Girardi.

With Chris Nelson due up, the Yankees manager sent up Travis Hafner to pinch hit, despite the fact that the Yankees were out of available infielders. (Eduardo Nunez was still unable to play due to strained rib cage.) Hafner struck out for the second out of the inning, which left things up to Brennan Boesch, who stepped in for pitcher David Robertson.

Boesch hit a ball in the whole between shortstop and third base that third baseman Nolan Arenado made a diving stop on. But Arenado's throw to first base was late and Wells crossed home plate to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. The Yankees might have gotten more, but Nix was caught off of second bag and tagged for the final out of the inning.

"The ball will find you" is a long time, proven cliche that came to fruition in last night's game. Wells never played anywhere other then the three outfields spots in his 15 years in the big leagues and 549 minor league games. With Mariano Rivera on the mound for the save, Carlos Gonzalez hit a one-out chopper to Wells' left side. The third baseman deftly moved to his glove side, snared the ball out of the air, and made a perfect throw to first base. (Anyone else have horrible visions of Gary Sheffield filling in at his old position for the 2004 Yankees?) Michael Cuddyer reached on a single and stole second base, but Rivera retired catcher Wil Rosario on a fly out to earn the Yankees a 'W'. You can bet Wells was breathing a little easier after that.

Notes

Rivera was honored by the Rockies prior to the game in an on-field ceremony and also met with some of their employees earlier in the day. The only other time Rivera pitched in Colorado was a 1995 exhibition game.

David Phelps did a great job of saving the bullpen, which was short-handed, with seven gritty innings. he looked like he wouldn't make it past the 6th, but hung tough.

Ivan Nova could be activated to face the Cleveland Indians in one of Monday's twinbill with the Tribe.

Curtis Granderson has reported to Triple-A Scranton to continue his rehab from a broken forearm. There's a possibility he could be activated next week, by which time Girardi has to decide whether to put him in center or move him to left field and leave Gardner in the middle.

Girardi's lineup on Wednesday was Tony LaRussa style - he hit Phelps in the 8th spot and catcher Austin Romine 9th.

Angel Hernandez Gives MLB a Black Eye and MLB Says "Thank you"

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:26:00 +0000

Toss the manager when you blow the call.

The first I heard of the controversial ending in Wednesday night's Oakland A's-Cleveland Indians game was while I listened to Mike and Mike on ESPN radio this morning.

Right off the bat - appropriate baseball phrase in this case - I had a problem with the fact that Angel Hernandez was the crew chief of the umpires in the game. In case you haven't heard about it, the A's trailed by one in the 9th when Adam Rosales hit a Chris Perez pitch high off the wall in left field.

A's manager Bob Melvin immediately came out to question the call. He felt that the ball landed up the yellow line, which would indicate a home run. Any ball hitting the line would be in play and that's how the umpires interpreted it. However, Melvin was right, the ball hit the railing past the wall and bounced back on to the field.

If you look at the three image captures below you can clearly (okay it's from a slow motion replay - you can "blurrily") see the ball is above the wall, descends and then passes the yellow line as it moves towards the field of play. Meaning it had to have hit behind the wall and ricocheted back on the field. It was clear as a bell. Apparently that bell was missing from the replay room.

Ball descends and is about to hit the stair railing

The ball ricochets off the stair rail and caroms towards the field.

The ball begins to clear the yellow line on its way to the outfield grass.

Hernandez and the three other umpires came back out and ruled that there was no substantial proof that the ball was a home run. Melvin immediately got in Hernandez's face and was ejected. Hernandez is one of the most obstinate, the "game is about me" umpires in all of Major League Baseball. I could easily see him deciding that the crew was not going to be overruled by some piece of technology.

Yes, I am questioning the integrity of Hernandez and not just because of this one incident. And for anyone who thinks the integrity of officials should not be brought into question, remember the name Tim Donaghy. I agree with the two Mikes that the league should overrule the umpires and pick up play from the point of it being a 4-4 ball game. (This is not a safe/out call like the one that took away Armando Galarraga's perfect game.) I also agree that commissioner Bud Selig will never do it.

The mantra of "Getting the call right." is clearly just a suggestion and not a mandate. Major League Baseball, especially under Selig, has always been reactive rather than proactive in the way they deal with things that happen between or outside the lines.

Despite having suspicions for years, Selig and company ignored the use of steroids, HGH, and other performance enhancing drugs. Attendance was up and the game was recovering nicely from the work stoppage in 1994. (Yes, this is also the man who canceled the World Series.) Selig has tried to convince everyone that he and other executives in the commissioner's office were in the dark and had no idea how bad things were when it came to PEDs. But as stories unfolded and tests get released, it is obvious PED use was rampant in baseball. There's no way the extent of it could be unknown. Then Selig conducted his ridiculous witch hunt with the Mitchell Report that only concentrated on a small segment of baseball.

One of the new problems arose when it was decided that interleague play would be played all year long. So instead of taking enough time and planning things out, MLB threw together an awful schedule for the 2012 season with a plethora of two and four game series, ridiculous travel schedules, and forced rivalries. "Don't worry it will all be better next year", was the basic statement from Selig's office.

A situation that did not have a major impact was the league's failure to prepare for a tie in the All-Star game. Sure enough, the two leagues played to a tie in the 2002 All-Star game. The reactive commissioner added more players to the roster and pitched the motto, "Now it counts" since the All-Star league winner would get home field in the World Series.

MLB not only did not change the attitude of fans towards the game, but potentially screwed over the team with the best record by taking away home field advantage. Of course this is also the sport that alternated home field advantages in prior World Series and still has pitchers bat in half of the World Series games, which gives the National League representative a clear edge.

Enough with Selig and back to the bigger problem of leaving the decision in the umpires' hands. MLB needs to put into place the same set up that the National Hockey League uses- a media center where plays are instantly reviewed even if there is no call for one from the head coaches or referees.

A call is placed from the command center into Toronto to an official at rinkside. That person than contacts the referee, who will come over and get on a communicator (phone or headset) with the people looking at the replays in real time. While they may ask for input from the referee it is the officials in the situation room that uphold or overrule a call. This is what MLB needs to take the the umpires' egos out of the circumstances.

Alas, MLB won't do this until there's a World Series game decided in the wrong favor because the umpires didn't change or uphold a call. It would be nice to get a look at the replay facilities the umpires use. I get the feeling they're watching on an old Emerson eight-inch black & white TV.

MLB Responds - No surprise here:

President for Baseball Operations Joe Torre issued the following statement, which basically said it was a mistake, but we're not going to do anything about it.

“By rule, the decision to reverse a call by use of instant replay is at the sole discretion of the crew chief. In the opinion of Angel Hernandez, who was last night’s crew chief, there was not clear and convincing evidence to overturn the decision on the field. It was a judgment call, and as such, it stands as final.

“Home and away broadcast feeds are available for all uses of instant replay, and they were available to the crew last night. Given what we saw, we recognize that an improper call was made. Perfection is an impossible standard in any endeavor, but our goal is always to get the calls right. Earlier this morning, we began the process of speaking with the crew to thoroughly review all the circumstances surrounding last night’s decision.”

Case closed...until MLB does the right thing too late.

Pitchers Must be Protected

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:17:00 +0000

Scenes like this need to be prevented.

If you didn't watch the live telecast of the Toronto Blue Jays - Tampa Bay Rays game, you may not want to watch the replay of Blue Jays' pitcher J.A. Happ take a line drive off his head.

The sound itself was horrible - Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey described the impact as sounding like the ball had been hit by two bats; the actual swing by Desmond Jennings and then the collision with Happ's head. I was grateful the camera shot was from behind Happ rather than from behind home plate.

It was unsettling to watch the fear on the faces of players on both teams as Happ fell to the ground, bloodied on the left side of his head, and stayed there until the he was stabilized and carted off the field. Happ was taken to the hospital for precautions and kept overnight. He was released earlier today and said he was in "good spirits".

How long Happ remains out remains to be seen. He appears to be luckier than Brandon McCarthy was last season when he was hit by a comebacker while pitching for the Oakland A's. It resulted in a skull fracture that required surgery and a six day hospital stay. McCarthy missed the last month of the season and playoffs, but he's back this season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As a Yankees fan, I automatically think of the Yankees-Red Sox game back in 2000 when the Yankees Ryan Thompson hit a line drive into the face of Red Sox pitcher Bryce Florie. It was a horribly bloody injury that compromised Florie's vision. He got back to the Red Sox the following season, but was released after seven big league appearances and then bounced around the minor leagues until he called it quits in 2007.

So what do you do? Pitchers can't wear helmets. Do you put some kind of insert in the cap similar to those used by batters as a pre-cursor to batting helmets? (McCarthy pointed out that neither Happ nor he would have been protected by an insert).

ESPN's Buster Olney was on Michael Kay's radio show Wednesday afternoon and mentioned that Major League Baseball is looking at some kind of insert, perhaps kevlar, for the caps. He emphasized that the league has to look into the impact on a pitcher's mechanics and comfort level. Any kind of head gear would probably need to be tested in the minors first and with the generation of players that will arrive in the Majors soon. Just like the NHL did when helmets became mandatory, the current players would probably be grandfathered in to the old rules giving them the choice to wear some kind of protective head gear.

Whatever the league comes up with, something needs to be done soon. The number of incidents of pitchers being seriously injured has increased and it would be sad if nothing was done until, God forbid, someone suffered a fatal injury.

Yankees Turning to Groupon as Attendance Drops

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:18:00 +0000

There's clearly been a direct affect of a chillier spring on attendance at New York Yankees games, but it's nothing compared to what the price of tickets, food, beverage, parking and/or mass transit has done to keep fans away. The Yankees wanted to build a palace and they did, but they priced out the average baseball fan in the process. The Steinbrenners still don't seem to understand that.

Fans turned en masse to Stub Hub the last few years to find cheaper seats. The Steinbrenners didn't dig that tactic, so they made it harder for fans to get seats this year through Stub Hub (no e-tickets, no pick up window near the Stadium) and came up with their own re-sale plan with Ticketmaster. Yeah, that ticked off fans too. Everyone hates Ticketmaster.

Now the Yankees are turning to discount broker Groupon to sell tickets to games that aren't as attractive to fans. Through Groupon, fans can buy seats up to 54% off for a series with the Seattle Mariners May 14-16 and the Cleveland Indians June 3-5.

Here's an idea Yankees. Drop your ticket prices, your hot dog prices, your beer prices, your parking prices. Remember...over there at the old Stadium...plenty of people in the seats. And maybe you can put mannequins in the Legends Seats to make it look more people are there. Or hire seat fillers like they do at the Oscars. Yeah, that's the (overpriced ticket).

Fans are willing to pay to see Derek Jeter, but at these prices people don't want to pay the same amount to see Jayson Nix.

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado: Yankees Series Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:27:00 +0000

The New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies don't have much history between them. The deal that brought Chris Nelson to the Yankees last week was just the 7th trade between the two teams. The first player move between the two franchises indirectly resulted in the Yankees future manager.

On November 20, 1995, the Yankees sent pitcher Mike DeJean to the Rockies for catcher Joe Girardi. It was a move that was extremely unpopular with Yankees fans since it meant the departure of fan favorite Mike Stanley. Girardi even got booed at the Yankees pre-season fan fest. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Yankees hold a 7-5 advantage in games played between the two franchises, but their last visit to the Mile High city resulted in a three game sweep by the Rockies. The Yankees came to Colorado in 2007 having won 12 of their last 13 games, but couldn't hit in the hitter friendly ball park.

The Yankees lost the opener 3-1 when Josh Fogg outpitched Mike Mussina. Game 2 saw Andy Pettitte cruise into the 6th inning with a 1-0 lead, but got hammered for six runs over the next two frames. Jeff Francis limited the Yankees to that lone run over seven innings and struck out nine.

Roger Clemens couldn't make it out of the 5th inning in the finale and left with a 4-2 deficit. The Rockies hung on for a 4-3 win (Rodrigo Lopez earned the 'W') to complete the sweep.

Pitching didn't play much of a factor when the Yankees took two of three from the Rockies in a wild series in 2002. The Yankees scored 41 runs in the three games, including 20 in the middle game of the three game set.

Derek Jeter, Shane Spencer, and Robin Ventura each homered to back Mussina in a 10-5 win on June 18. Despite the fact that he allowed five runs in six innings, Mussina improved to 10-3 on the season. The next day the Yankees banged out 18 hits including another home run by Ventura, as well as home runs by Alfonso Soriano and Jason Giambi.

Ventura and John Vander Wal drove in four runs each and Ramiro Mendoza picked up the win after Pettitte allowed eight earned runs in three plus innings. (He'll be more than happy not to pitch in this week's series, especially after the outcome of his last two starts.) The Yankees actually trailed at one point 8-4. The Yankees bullpen did a horrid job in the finale as the Rockies rallied from an 8-2 deficit and won in 10 innings, 14-11.

The Yankees scored two in the 9th inning to tie the game at 11 apiece, but future Yankee Todd Zeile hit a walk-off 3-run home run off of Steve Karsay in the 10th inning. Clemens had to leave after four innings when he was struck by a line drive. It was Clemens' follow up start to the Yankees-Mets game in which Shawn Estes attempted to him, but threw behind him and missed. It was the first time Clemens got a chance to bat against the Mets since he had beaned Mike Piazza during the 2000 season and threw a shattered bat at him in that year's World Series.

Fast forward to today. A new three game series starts in Colorado this evening with Hiroki Kuroda facing Jorge De La Rosa. Kuroda faced the Rockies 10 times as a member of the LA Dodgers, but was just 1-5, 5.52. As a hitter, the Japanese native has a career .105 average with 3 RBI in 245 plate appearances. He's hitless in two at-bats as a Yankee.

De La Rosa is 2-1, 1.46 in three appearances (two starts) against NY, but the last win came as a member of the KC Royals in 2007.

Game 2 matches David Phelps against Juan Nicasio in a contest that will also feature Phelps' first Major League at-bat (barring an early exit). The finale has CC Sabathia, who loves to swing the bat, against Jeff Francis. Sabathia carries a career .238 average with 3 HR and 14 RBI. He's just 2-17 (.118) as a member of the Yankees.

Francis was with Colorado from 2004-2010 (missed 2009 with injury), played with KC in 2011 and returned to Colorado last season.

A couple of final historical notes - the sixth other deals between NY and COL were pretty meaningless, except for the Yankees acquisition of Shawn Chacon in 2005. After he lost seven of eight with the Rockies, Chacon went 7-3, 2.85 to help the Yankees to the AL East division title.

In the 1992 expansion draft, the Rockies took Charlie Hayes from the Yankees with their third pick. They also selected Carl Everett and Brad Ausmus from the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees got Hayes back from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996 and the third baseman recorded the final putout in the Yankees World Series victory that year.

At the time, the Yankees were upset about losing Everett, but in retrospect the Rockies did them a tremendous favor. Everett had good numbers in a 14 year career, but it was filled with arguments, ejections, attitude, and complications. He played in the Major Leagues for eight different organizations in those 14 years.

Ausmus went on to have an 18 year career with the Padres, Tigers, Astros, and Dodgers. He was a three time Gold Glove winner and caught 1,938 games.

Girardi was also taken in the expansion draft from the Cubs with the Rockies' 19th pick.

A-Rod Florida Bound For the Next Step

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Sarver) — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:57:00 +0000

A-Rod is the true Johnny Drama

Alex Rodriguez took another step towards returning to the active roster in July when he arrived in Florida for the start of "baseball activities". There are no details as of yet as far as what the baseball activities will include. Hopefully nothing illegal.

The Yankees controversial third baseman has been out all year after he underwent left hip surgery in January. A-Rod had been rehabbing the injury in New York and though he was not introduced to the fans, sat in the Yankees dugout on Opening Day.

A-Rod will have to continue to rehab his image as well after he was implicated as a customer of a Florida based anti-aging clinic that was a front for the sale of steroids. Major League Baseball is still investigating who may have been involved.

Nunez hurting again

The MRI on Eduardo Nunez's rib cage came back negative, but the Yankees shortstop said he "can't move". With an off day Monday prior to a three game series in Colorado, the Yankees have time to decide whether or not to bring another position player up from the minor leagues.

Should Nunez not be able to make a go of it, Jayson Nix would start at shortstop and former Rockies infielder Chris Nelson would get the start at third base. If Nunez is to be DL'ed, the Yankees could recall Corban Joseph, who got the nod when Kevin Youkilis first went on the DL or 33-year old veteran shortstop Gil Velazquez. In his first season in the organization, Velazquez is hitting just .197 for Scranton, but has seen regular playing time at shortstop. His recall would force a move on the 40-man roster as well. (David Adams cannot be recalled until May 15.)

The Yankees could also look for another veteran infielder as they did with Nelson. (This could be even more important the longer Derek Jeter is out of the lineup.) Nunez has missed time in two separate incidents this season after he was hit by a pitch.