NEW YORK – Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda was forced to leave Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox with a contusion to his right middle finger. Additional tests, including an X-ray, will be performed.

Kuroda reached up and made contact with Shane Victorino’s hard line drive to open the second inning, which glanced off the hurler’s hand and landed in center field.

He was seen on the mound by manager Joe Girardi and head athletic trainer Steve Donohue, throwing several warmup pitches to prove he could stay in the game, but Kuroda’s command appeared to suffer as the inning continued.

Kuroda hit Jackie Bradley, Jr. with a pitch before inducing a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. A walk to Jacoby Ellsbury followed and Kuroda drilled Daniel Nava to force in Boston’s second run of the evening.

That was all that Girardi would see, as he removed Kuroda following his 41st pitch of the night. Kuroda was replaced by right-hander Cody Eppley, who was given as much time as needed to warm up because of the injury.

Rocboys! #rocnationsports #yankees twitter.com/RobinsonCano/s…

— Robinson Cano (@RobinsonCano) April 2, 2013

NEW YORK – As he approaches what figures to be a lucrative contract payday, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano has switched agents, leaving Scott Boras to sign with CAA Sports.

Cano’s marketing endeavors will be handled by Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, while his baseball activities will be represented by a team of agents led by CAA Sports’ Brodie Van Wagenen.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” Cano said in a statement released by CAA. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals.

“I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

Van Wagenen added in a statement: “Robinson Cano is an extraordinary all-around talent who has established himself as one of the game’s best and most consistent players. Our mandate is to minimize his distractions while helping him achieve his goals on and off the field in both the short and the long term. His immediate concern is continuing to show respect for the Yankees organization, his teammates and the fans.”

Cano had been with Boras since 2011, when he dismissed Bobby Barad, the agent who negotiated Cano’s current deal with the Yankees that expires after this season. Cano is set to earn $15 million this year, a club option that was triggered by the Yankees last October.

In late February, general manager Brian Cashman revealed that the Yankees had tendered a “significant offer” to Cano and Boras with the hopes of signing the four-time All-Star to an extension, but those negotiations did not appear to be moving quickly.

The Yankees technically have until 3 p.m. ET today to file their Opening Day roster to Major League Baseball, but there really isn’t much mystery to that deadline. Barring a last-minute, shock-the-world acquisition, we know what the 25-man roster is going to look like.

As Joe Girardi promised several times this spring, he actually did need until the exhibition against Army to iron out his final calls, but those were locked in when the Yankees coaching staff told Cody Eppley and Adam Warren that they had made the club.

Girardi had thought that he might need that long to also decide on first base and an extra outfield spot, but Lyle Overbay had the inside track on a one-man race late in camp. The Yankees pretty much made their calls when they released Juan Rivera back in Tampa, telling Rivera that Ben Francisco and Overbay were making the team. Brennan Boesch is also going to be on the club as a backup outfielder.

At some point today, the Yankees will also announce a group of disabled list assignments, but there won’t be any surprises there — Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Phil Hughes and Clay Rapada will all begin the season on the 15-day DL.

With those moves in the works, here is how the Yankees’ Opening Day roster should look when game No. 1 of 162 is underway tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx:

Starting pitchers (5): CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, David Phelps, Ivan Nova

Relief pitchers (7): Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, Shawn Kelley, Cody Eppley, Adam Warren

Catchers (2): Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart

Infielders (5): Robinson Cano, Lyle Overbay, Jayson Nix, Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Youkilis.

Outfielders (5): Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, Brennan Boesch, Ben Francisco.

Designated hitter (1): Travis Hafner

And speaking of Opening Day — what do you need to know if you’re planning on attending the game, or watching on TV? Here’s a quick rundown of what the Yankees have planned:

Gates will open to fans with valid tickets beginning at 11:00 a.m., with festivities slated to begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. with the introduction of both teams on the baselines. The Yankees ask their fans to please budget ample time when planning their trip to the Stadium and urge their fans to use public transportation.

Lou Piniella, who will be honored with the “Pride of the Yankees Award” at the 2013 Homecoming Dinner following the Opening Day game, will throw out the Opening Day ceremonial first pitch. He will become the 12th former Yankees player to receive the Opening Day honor.

The Yankees and the Red Sox will stand together in dedicating the 2013 Opening Day game to the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, their families and the greater community of Newtown. Pregame ceremonies will feature joint honor guards of Newtown police and firefighters, along with a moment of silence, during which a list of the Sandy Hook victims’ names will be recognized on the center-field video board.

The Yankees and Red Sox will also wear a special ribbon on their uniforms for Opening Day to honor those lost and those affected by the tragedy.

Constantine Maroulis, Tony nominee and star of the Jekyll & Hyde Broadway musical scheduled to open on April 5, will sing the national anthem. In addition, a giant American flag will be unfurled by 75 West Point Cadets.

During the seventh-inning stretch, Alli Mauzey of the Broadway hit Wicked will perform “God Bless America.”

Should be a fun afternoon at the ballpark. We’ll have all the coverage on yankees.com.

While we wait for the Vernon Wells trade to be officially announced (it’s expected to go through today, pending approval from the Commissioner’s Office) …

Chien-Ming Wang said that it felt just like old times on Monday as the right-hander tugged on a Yankees cap to go through the paces of a workout at the club’s Minor League complex.

Wang returned to the Yankees last week, having shown enough promise during his World Baseball Classic stint with Chinese Taipei to warrant a Minor League contract. He is expected to start the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“It’s like back in the day,” Wang said through an interpreter. “This was my first team, this is where I started. I feel great.”

Wang played catch and took fielding practice at the club’s Himes Avenue complex across the highway from George M. Steinbrenner Field. He said that he will throw a bullpen on Wednesday and selected the Yankees from a group of “four or five” interested clubs, all of whom offered Minor League deals.

“It was an easy decision for me, because I never wanted to leave,” Wang said.

Wang had a terrific run with the Yankees, including back-to-back 19-win seasons in 2006 and 2007. Right now, he’s organizational depth with no guarantees of appearing in the Bronx, but you know the old saying about never having too much pitching — especially when you think about CC Sabathia coming off elbow surgery, Hiroki Kuroda coming back after setting a career high in innings pitched and Andy Pettitte about to hit age 41.

If you set the over-under on Wang’s 2013 Major League starts at four, I think I’d take the over right now.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees may not have not seen much of Vernon Wells over the last few seasons, but as they eye an Opening Day lineup that suddenly seems lacking in star power, they’re ready to give him much more of a look.

The Yankees and Angels are closing in on a deal that will fit the 34-year-old outfielder for pinstripes, sources have confirmed to MLB.com, and the trade could be completed as soon as Sunday evening.

The transaction will involve the Angels taking on a large majority of the $42 million Wells is owed through the 2014 season, which is a matter still under discussion between the clubs. The Yankees are expected to only surrender a low-level Minor League player in exchange.

“I’m not at liberty to have any conversations publicly about it yet, but I know what you’re asking,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “There’s a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross to get to a finish line when you’re doing something.”

Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed that the two sides are talking, but declined to go into detail.

Wells has a full no-trade clause, but was coming into the season as the Angels’ fifth outfielder behind Mike Trout, Peter Bourjos, Josh Hamilton and designated hitter Mark Trumbo.

He grinned and said, “Possibly,” when reporters in Tempe, Ariz. asked him if he had approved a trade.

“It’d be a huge change,” Wells said of joining the Yankees. “I don’t think it’s ever easy saying goodbye, but at the same time, if this were to happen, it’s a good group of guys over there. I’ll just get to know a new family.”

The Yankees suddenly find themselves in a position to offer Wells a healthy amount of at-bats, at least early in the upcoming season. Curtis Granderson is not expected to play until early May because of a fractured right forearm, and the Yankees have been looking for a right-handed outfield bat for some time.

Juan Rivera, considered a leading contender for that right-handed outfield job, might now be the regular first baseman with Mark Teixeira lost to a strained right forearm until at least the middle of May.

The Yankees signed Ben Francisco to a Minor League deal after he was cut loose by the Indians this month, but Francisco – as well as Brennan Boesch, a lefty-hitting outfielder who was released by the Tigers – can be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by the Yankees.

Wells has enjoyed a nice spring with the Angels, batting .361 (13-for-36) with four homers and 11 RBIs, and several Yankees seemed excited about the prospect of his addition.

“He’s a veteran, a leader, a good guy who’s got power and can play the outfield real well,” Yankees third baseman Kevin Youkilis said. “I’ve always respected Vernon as a player. It’d be great. I never complain about getting guys on a team. I always find good things guys can do on a team. If he were to come here, I bet he’d do a good job helping us try to win.”

Teixeira took to Twitter to voice his support of the trade, writing, “Vernon Wells joining the #Yankees? Great guy who will be a big addition to our club.”

Wells, who plans to retire after the 2014 season, had been accepting of his limited role this spring with the Angels and said he still has something to offer a big league lineup.

“My offseason was geared towards getting back to what I’m capable of doing,” Wells said Sunday. “That was my goal coming into spring — the work I put in the offseason, the work I’ve been doing in Spring Training was to get my swing back to where it’s supposed to be. That’s short and through the ball. When I can do that, I can still put up the numbers that I’m supposed to be putting up.”

With the Blue Jays from 2002-10, Wells posted a .279/.330/.478 slash line, won three Gold Gloves and made three All-Star teams. But he hasn’t been able to duplicate that success since coming to Anaheim in a January 2011 deal that saw the Angels send Juan Rivera and Mike Napoli to Toronto while picking up $81 million of the $86 million owed to Wells.

Wells hit 25 homers in 2011, but posted the lowest batting average (.218) and on-base percentage (.248) in the Majors. He batted .244 with six homers in the first two months of 2012, then missed the next two months with thumb surgery and, with Trout producing, hardly played the rest of the way.

“We haven’t seen him a lot the last two years, just because he was hurt some, and we don’t see the Los Angeles Angels much,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I know when he was in our division, he was a very good player. A very good player.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will not play in a Minor League game on Sunday, the club has confirmed.

General manager Brian Cashman told Newsday that Jeter was “sore” after grounding out four times in a Minor League game as a designated hitter for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

Cashman is expected to address Jeter’s situation further within the hour.

Jeter said upon reporting to George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday that he did not know what his plan would be going forward.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has said that he needs to see Jeter play in back-to-back games without soreness in his surgically repaired left ankle before the team would seriously consider having him on the Opening Day roster.

In order to preserve their ability to backdate his injury for disabled list purposes, Jeter has been told that he will not play in another Major League game this spring. If the Yankees begin the season with Jeter on the disabled list, he would be eligible to be activated on April 6.