Yanks have a rotation decision: Burnett No. 2 starter
A.J. Burnett will be the Yankees’ No. 2 starter and Phil Hughes is the No. 3 starter, Joe Girardi confirmed today.
Girardi said that it was their plan all along to have Burnett following CC Sabathia in the rotation, but they wanted to use the spring to evaluate the pair of right-handers.
“It’s what we brought him here to do,” Girardi said of Burnett, who was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA last season for New York.
Burnett lines up to make his first start April 2 against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium; Hughes follows him the next day against Detroit.
Earlier in the day, Burnett said he’d accept whatever decision was made.
“It shows they have faith in what they brought me here to do,” Burnett said. “Either way, just give me the ball.”
- The Yankees have sent Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances to Minor League camp. Brackman will start the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; Betances will begin at Double-A Trenton.
- Russell Martin was in New York’s original lineup today but Girardi decided to rest him after he took a beating catching Burnett’s four innings yesterday against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, starting Austin Romine instead. Martin is fine physically and will catch Sabathia tomorrow against the Phillies in Clearwater.
- Ivan Nova will pitch a simulated game tomorrow at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
- In case you’re looking ahead, Manny Banuelos will pitch on Monday against the Rays in Port Charlotte behind Bartolo Colon.
- As I sit here in the press box writing this blog post, Dante Girardi is taking batting practice off his dad. He belted one homer into the right-field party deck (OK, so he’s hitting with a metal bat from shallow right field. Still, that’s not bad for 8 years old!).
A pitch away, Garcia gives one up
Freddy Garcia was one pitch away from a quality start when David Cooper unloaded on a well-hit two-run homer, landing in the right-field party deck at George M. Steinbrenner Field and bouncing out of the ballpark.
Garcia knows he needs to pitch well this spring to secure one of the Yankees’ open rotation slots, and this effort is a bag of mixed results. He bent backwards near the mound after the Cooper homer in frustration.
He started strong, facing the minimum through three innings, but allowed three Blue Jays runs in the fourth inning and finished permitting five runs in six innings. He walked none and struck out six.
Mariano Rivera threw a scoreless seventh inning for his third spring appearance, setting the Blue Jays down in order – strikeout looking, strikeout looking, groundout to first base. He’s ready for Opening Day.
Grapefruit League Game 22: Yankees at Blue Jays
March 18, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – Florida Auto Exchange Stadium – Dunedin, Fla.
TV: None / Radio: None
YANKEES (8-11-2)
Brett Gardner LF, Russell Martin C, Curtis Granderson CF, Nick Swisher RF, Jorge Posada DH, Eric Chavez 1B, Eduardo Nunez 2B, Ronnie Belliard 3B, Ramiro Pena SS
Pitching: A.J. Burnett RHP (1-0, 2.00 ERA)
Also scheduled to pitch: Sergio Mitre, Andrew Brackman
BLUE JAYS (10-9)
Corey Patterson CF, John McDonald SS, Jose Bautista 3B, Adam Lind 1B, Juan Rivera RF, Travis Snider LF, Jose Molina C, Eric Thames DH, Mike McCoy 2B
Pitching: Brandon Morrow RHP (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
Also scheduled to pitch: Jon Rauch, David Purcey, Mike Hinckley
- Hello from Dunedin, where the Yankees and Blue Jays are meeting for the second time this spring. It’s in the mid-70′s without a cloud in the sky, a perfect sunny Florida day, and the flags are lightly blowing in from right-center field while the Spin Doctors’ “Two Princes” plays on the left-center field speakers.
- Slow morning at Yankees camp, but Joe Girardi did have a couple of small tidbits. Lefties Pedro Feliciano and Boone Logan are both being slowed by aches – Feliciano has a little dead arm soreness near his left triceps, and Logan had back spasms after throwing a scoreless inning last night vs. Tampa Bay. Feliciano will throw a bullpen tomorrow; Logan might be out for four or five days.
- Joba Chamberlain is scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow.&n
bsp; - Girardi promises he’ll have the regular season order of A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes in the Yankees rotation tomorrow. They’ve gone through camp with Hughes following CC Sabathia.
- Girardi seems to love the idea of having Eric Chavez on the bench. “I think there’s some upside there,” he said. “You watch him swing the bat – I saw him hit a double over the left fielder’s head, he has pull power. We know that he can play defense. He’s an interesting guy to have, for sure.”
- Alex Rodriguez has homered in three straight games, driven in a run in five straight and hit in all 11 of his spring contests. He’s not on today’s trip, though. Last night’s homer outdid Jorge Vazquez for the longest Steinbrenner Field blast of the spring – they don’t offer tape measure distances, but it cleared the center-field batters eye with plenty of room to spare.
- Sergio Mitre returns to action today in relief. They have A.J. Burnett slated for 75-80 pitches.
- There are 13 days until Opening Day.
Grapefruit League Game 21: Yankees vs. Rays
March 17, 2011, 7:05 p.m. ET – George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, Fla.
TV: None / Radio: None
RAYS (8-9-1)Ben Zobrist 2B, Johnny Damon LF, Evan Longoria 3B, Manny Ramirez DH, Matt Joyce RF, B.J. Upton CF, Dan Johnson 1B, Reid Brignac SS, John Jaso C
Pitching: Chris Bootcheck RHP (0-2, 10.80 ERA this spring)
YANKEES (7-11-2)
Brett Gardner LF, Derek Jeter SS, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Jorge Posada DH, Curtis Granderson CF, Jesus Montero C
Pitching: Phil Hughes RHP (0-0, 5.00 ERA this spring)
Also pitching: Boone Logan, Romulo Sanchez, Luis Ayala
- Happy St. Patrick’s Day from George M. Steinbrenner Field. Brett Gardner moves into the leadoff spot tonight as Joe Girardi continues to play with ideas of how to stack his lineup for the regular season. Gardner led the Yankees in on-base percentage last year and fits the bill for what they want from a leadoff hitter. “Obviously you want a guy that gets on all the time and has the ability to score runs in a lot of different ways,” Girardi said.
- Of course, they’re not ready to commit to this just yet. Derek Jeter is still expected to hit at the top of the order, so the two-hole could work for him, but they also are in no hurry to bump Nick Swisher out of the No. 2 spot. Girardi did say he believes Swisher is one of several versatile Yankees who can hit anywhere needed in the order. Girardi said the Yankees have eight or nine more games in which they can toy with it.
- Rafael Soriano threw 21 pitches in a Minor League game on Thursday but said he did not feel like his fastball and slider were up to snuff. He next expects to pitch Sunday at Philadelphia.
- Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte is here tonight as a backup in case they need him.
- Injury updates – Sergio Mitre (oblique) will pitch tomorrow in relief against the Blue Jays. Joba Chamberlain (oblique) threw a light side session today on flat ground.
- Leonel Vinas, the right-hander signed from Hank Steinbrenner’s “Hank’s Yanks” youth team, debuted today. He threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout for Class-A Charleston against Class-A Tampa.
- There are 14 days until Opening Day.
Grapefruit League Game 20: Yankees vs. Orioles
March 16, 2011, 7:05 p.m. ET – George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, Fla.
TV: YES / Radio: WCBS
ORIOLES (8-8-2)Robert Andino 2B, Nick Markakis RF, Adam Jones CF, Vladimir Guerrero DH, Luke Scott LF, Mark Reynolds 3B, Matt Wieters C, Josh Bell 1B, Cesar Izturis SS
Pitching: Jim Johnson RHP (0-0, 0.00 ERA this spring)
Also pitching: Rick VandenHurk, Mark Hendrickson, Michael Gonzalez, David Riske, Clay Rapada
YANKEES (6-11-2)Derek Jeter SS, Nick Swisher RF, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Robinson Cano 2B, Jorge Posada DH, Curtis Granderson CF, Russell Martin C, Brett Gardner LF
Pitching: Ivan Nova RHP (0-0, 2.25 ERA this spring)
Also pitching: Mariano Rivera, Rafael Soriano, Mark Prior, David Robertson
- Back in the saddle here at The Boss after four days of
f and a flight home to New York. We’re under the lights in Tampa tonight as the Yankees try to pick up a win after six straight losses, the last of which came on Monday in a 2-1 decision to the Red Sox. - You’ll notice that this lineup looks an awful lot like the one the Yankees might be trotting out on March 31 against the Tigers. It’s the first time the probable Opening Day lineup has been together as a group, and with another night game on Thursday, Joe Girardi said he’s thinking about running it out there again.
- There has been some talk outside the clubhouse about moving around the 3-4-5 hitters, but Girardi said he has no plans to shuffle Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.
- Joba Chamberlain’s MRI showed a slight oblique strain, although he’s asymptomatic. They’ll have him play catch tomorrow and see where he is. Sergio Mitre tossed a light side today and is also on the mend.
- Ivan Nova is expected to throw 75 to 80 pitches tonight.
- There are 15 days until Opening Day.
Yankees make first spring cuts
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Hector Noesi to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The team also assigned RHP Adam Warren, RHP David Phelps, RHP Brian Anderson, RHP Buddy Carlyle and LHP Andy Sisco to Minor League camp.
After Sunday’s game, INF Bradley Suttle, and OFs Daniel Brewer and Austin Krum were reassigned to minor league camp; LHP Robert Fish was claimed on waivers by the Kansas City Royals; and RHP Daniel Turpen was returned to the Boston Red Sox.
Major League camp now stands at 53 players: 24 pitchers, eight catchers, 12 infielders and 9 outfielders.
Former Yankees Rasner, Albaladejo OK in Japan
Darrell Rasner left the United States after the 2008 season to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League.
Their home city of Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, was hit hard by Friday’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, but Rasner said he and his teammates are safe.
“We were not in town when that hit,” Rasner wrote in an e-mail. “The guys on the team were in Kobe and I was on the bullet train going to Tokyo when the earthquake hit. By the time the tsunami hit, I was in a hotel room glued to the TV, watching it unfold.”
Rasner said that his family is not currently in Japan, but he expressed sympathy for those who are suffering there.
“I just feel really bad for the people up there right now and what they are going through,” Rasner wrote. “I have a couple guys on the team I talked with last night that are up in Sendai right now. I talked to them for a couple minutes and [they] said all the power was out. They were staying in a big tent by the field with a whole bunch of people. It’s really too bad.”
Rasner pitched for three seasons with the Yankees beginning in 2006 after starting his career with the Montreal Expos.
Former Yankee Jonathan Albaladejo is also safe, he told Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger via e-mail. Now a member of the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball, Albaladejo had just left Tokyo for Hiroshima, which was far from the epicenter. Albaladejo said he never felt the earthquake.
Grapefruit League Game 15: Yankees vs. Braves
March 11, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, Fla.
TV: YES / Radio: None
YANKEES (6-6-2)Derek Jeter SS, Andruw Jones LF, Mark Teixeira 1B, Alex Rodriguez 3B, Jorge Pos
ada DH, Eduardo Nunez 2B, Austin Romine C, Justin Maxwell RF, Austin Krum CF
ada DH, Eduardo Nunez 2B, Austin Romine C, Justin Maxwell RF, Austin Krum CF
Starting pitcher: Phil Hughes RHP (0-0, 5.40 ERA this spring)
Also scheduled to pitch: Steve Garrison, Rafael Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, Pedro Feliciano
BRAVES (8-5)
Martin Prado LF, Brooks Conrad 2B, Chipper Jones DH, Brian McCann C, Jason Heyward RF, Ed Lucas 3B, Freddie Freeman 1B, Jordan Schafer CF, Diory Hernandez SS
Starting pitcher: Tommy Hanson RHP (2-0, 0.00 ERA this spring)
Also scheduled to pitch: Kenshin Kawakami, Eric O’Flaherty, Craig Kimbrel, Scott Proctor
- The Yankees have split-squad action going today, as half the team is in Dunedin playing the Blue Jays. Here’s that lineup – Granderson CF, Pena SS, Swisher RF, Chavez 1B, Montero C, Belliard 2B, Vazquez 3B, Laird DH, Parraz LF, Nova RHP
Grapefruit League Game 14: Yankees at Phillies
March 10, 2011, 1:05 p.m. ET – Bright House Field – Clearwater, Fla.
TV: None / Radio: None
YANKEES (6-5-2)Brett Gardner LF, Russell Martin C, Jorge Posada 1B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Curtis Granderson CF, Jesus Montero DH, Ronnie Belliard 2B, Ramiro Pena SS
Starting pitcher: CC Sabathia RHP (0-0, 9.64 ERA this spring)
Also scheduled to pitch: David Robertson, Mark Prior, Brian Anderson, Andy Sisco
PHILLIES (7-6)
Jimmy Rollins SS, Shane Victorino CF, Placido Polanco 3B, Ben Francisco LF, John Mayberry Jr. 1B, Delwyn Young RF, Carlos Ruiz C, Matt Miller DH, Josh Barfield 2B
Starting pitcher: Roy Halladay RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA this spring)
Also scheduled to pitch: J.C. Ramirez, Michael Stutes, Michael Schwimer, Justin De Fratus, Antonio Bastardo
- Hello from Clearwater, where it’s rainy and in the 60s. We had some heavy thunderstorms overnight, and this morning my apartment was literally shaking from overhead thunder, but it’s all supposed to clear up and we expect to have baseball. The tarp is on the field and the flags atop the scoreboard in left-center field are gently blowing out to left.
- If you take a look at the Yankees lineup, you’ll see Jorge Posada at first base. That’s not a typo. They want to give him some looks there this spring; he’s been working out at the position in practice and has 28 Major League appearances there previously. It’s more as an emergency type option for Joe Girardi, who noted that Posada’s knee has given him no problems.
- Upcoming pitching for the Yankees: Phil Hughes vs. the Braves tomorrow at Steinbrenner Field, with Ivan Nova going in the split-squad game at Toronto; A.J. Burnett at Nationals; Freddy Garcia vs. Twins, Sergio Mitre at Red Sox.
- Greg Golson (sore oblique) is on the mend, but Colin Curtis (separated shoulder) isn’t so lucky. He’ll rehab in Tampa for a month.
- Former MLB umpire Jerry Crawford – a Havertown, Pa. native – is throwing today’s ceremonial first pitch.
- There are 21 days until Opening Day.
Bryan Hoch
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