Results tagged ‘ Brett Gardner ’
Girardi: Granderson will return as Yanks’ center fielder
When Curtis Granderson returns to the Yankees’ outfield, he will do so as the center fielder, manager Joe Girardi confirmed on Sunday.
Girardi told reporters in Fort Myers, Fla. that he has decided to abandon the experiment of playing Granderson in left field with Brett Gardner moving to center field. Granderson is sidelined until May with a fractured right forearm.
“We don’t really have the chance to work on it,” Girardi said. “It’s just something that I’ve thought about. I don’t know how many games he would have in his rehab coming back, and that’s a concern for me. So I want him to be comfortable wherever he’s at, because his bat’s real important to us.”
Girardi added that if the Yankees take outfield prospect Melky Mesa on the roster to begin the season, he would play Mesa in center field and have Gardner in left field.
“Hypothetically, if Mesa’s the guy that goes, he’s played mostly center field,” Girardi said. “So Gardy would have to move to left in that situation.”
The Yankees are also considering Zoilo Almonte, Matt Diaz, Juan Rivera and Ronnier Mustelier among their choices to fill in for Granderson in April. If those players were in the lineup, Gardner would have to play center field with Ichiro Suzuki in right field.
“Until I sort out what we have, it’s going to be kind of difficult to determine how we do it,” Girardi said.
Yankees, Gardner avoid arbitration with one-year deal
NEW YORK – The Yankees announced on Friday that they have agreed with outfielder Brett Gardner on a one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available. Gardner, 29, was arbitration eligible for the second time and earned $2.8 million in 2012.
The Yankees have envisioned Gardner as either their starting left fielder or center fielder in 2013, with a chance that Curtis Granderson would move to a corner outfield spot.
Gardner was limited to just 16 games this year due to a right elbow strain suffered in April that later required arthroscopic surgery. He batted .323 (10-for-31) with two doubles and three RBIs at the big league level.
A career .266 hitter in 475 Major League games over five seasons, Gardner was a third-round selection of the Yankees in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.
Another setback for Brett Gardner?
Brett Gardner came into the Tampa, Fla. training complex today feeling a little sore and was given the day off, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Girardi said that the soreness is “a concern” and called Gardner’s repeated troubles with his right elbow “puzzling.”
Another setback could knock Gardner out for the season. He hasn’t played in a Major League game since April 17.
Brett Gardner suffers setback; out until at least All-Star break
Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner felt more pain in his right elbow this morning and will be sent to see a doctor on Monday.
Manager Joe Girardi said that he does not expect Gardner back until at least the All-Star break after this setback, his second since suffering a strain making an outfield catch in April. Girardi said that he cannot be sure exactly when the Yankees will get Gardner back. Gardner is going to see Dr. James Andrews early next week, as well as go for a second opinion from Dr. Timothy Kremchek.
“Something’s not right. He still feels stiffness,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “He doesn’t feel right. … We’ll try to figure this thing out because we don’t have an answer to this.”
- Yankees hurler Hiroki Kuroda has a bruise on his left foot but he believes he will be able to make his next scheduled start.
Gardner has setback, sent for MRI
Brett Gardner had a setback after coming out of last night’s Minor League rehab game and has been sent for another MRI on his right elbow.
Gardner had swelling in the muscular part of his elbow, according to Joe Girardi, which is a different injury than the bone bruise he has been on the disabled list for.
Girardi said he now does not know when the team will get Gardner back. The plan had been for him to rejoin the team today.
“We miss his presence in left field,” Girardi said. “But we’ve got to find a way to get it done without him.”
Swisher could miss a week with hamstring strain
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he is hoping Nick Swisher will be available to return to the lineup on Tuesday, May 8 from a left hamstring strain. Swisher doesn’t think it’s going to take that long, though — he’s shooting for Thursday against the Royals in Kansas City.
“We all decided to be smart, take a couple of days off and get this thing 100 percent healed up,” Swisher said. “I’m that type of guy that I like to take pride in being on the field every day. When you get banged up like this it’s kind of frustrating.”
Swisher is usually the optimist in these situations, though, so it seems a safer and more conservative bet that Girardi’s time frame is likely. The Yankees aren’t putting Swisher on the DL, though, because they believe Brett Gardner will be activated from the DL on Thursday at Kansas City.
Gardner, Yankees agree at $2.8 million
The Yankees and outfielder Brett Gardner avoided arbitration Friday, agreeing to a one-year non-guaranteed contract, the club announced.
The club and Gardner, 28, met at the midpoint of arbitration figures exchanged earlier in the week, finalizing a $2.8 million deal. Gardner had requested $3.2 million and the club countered with $2.4 million.
The Yankees expect to have Gardner as their starting left fielder in 2012, though Andruw Jones may replace him for some games against left-handed pitching.
Two Yankees players remain eligible for arbitration. Catcher Russell Martin filed for $8.2 million, while the Yanks offered $7 million; while left-hander Boone Logan asked for $2.1 million and was met with a $1.7 million offer.
The Yankees have also avoided arbitration with pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and David Robertson. Players and teams who go to arbitration hearings will engage in that process from Feb. 1-21 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Game 108: Yankees vs. White Sox
CHICAGO — I’m no weather man, but after listening to everyone talk heading into tonight’s game, I can tell you this: Expect rain. Nothing yet as of 6 p.m. CT, but there’s supposed to be some pretty serious storms in the area tonight, so hopefully the game can get in with little or no delays.
Phil Hughes certainly hopes so.
Manager Joe Girardi said he hasn’t articulated to Hughes that he needs to pitch well tonight, but with the Yankees deploying a six-man rotation in order to keep Ivan Nova in the mix, the pressure is on for Hughes to deliver against a rather desperate White Sox team. And the last thing he needs is for a little rain to get in the way.
When asked what he’s looking for out of Hughes, Girardi mentioned a better curveball — the new one that was so key to him getting his first win in Toronto three starts ago.
“I thought he made some progress his last start, but I think that his stuff can get better,” he said. “He can give us more distance. His curveball wasn’t as sharp his last start. As we talked about, [CC Sabathia's] slider wasn’t as sharp as it’s been [last night], but when it’s Phil, we have to get this guy on a roll, too. And he’s had his struggles this year, so there’s more red flags. His curveball wasn’t as sharp, and we have to get that going.”
Girardi was asked several times what could happen when he cuts his rotation from six to five again — whether Nova or Hughes will be in the bullpen, or whether one of them will go to the Minors to be stretched out for the Aug. 27 doubleheader — but the skipper kept his options open and would only speak in generalities.
“There’s a lot of things that we have to talk about,” Girardi said. “I mean, the best thing that could happen is that [Hughes] pitches really well, and then we have a tough decision to make in what we’re going to do. There’s some different scenarios. Nova hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen as much. I’ve also talked about, we’re going to need a starter, I think, Aug. 27 when we go to Baltimore, and you want someone built up. So there’s some things after today and tomorrow that we’re going to have to talk about.”
Derek Jeter is back in the lineup after missing Monday’s game with a sore right middle finger, and Brett Gardner is once again in the lineup — batting in the No. 9 spot — against a left-hander.
Here’s the full slate …
YANKEES (65-42)
Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Andruw Jones, DH
Russell Martin, C
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Gardner, LF
Pitching: RH Phil Hughes (1-3, 8.24 ERA)
WHITE SOX (52-55)
Juan Pierre, LF
Omar Vizquel, 3B
Carlos Quentin, DH
Adam Dunn, 1B
Alexei Ramirez, SS
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Alex Rios, CF
Alejandro De Aza, RF
Gordon Beckham, 2B
Pitching: LH John Danks (4-8, 3.79 ERA)
Some links from last night …
* CC denies White Sox, earning 16th win
* Yankees Notebook on Jeter, A-Rod, Cervelli and the six-man rotation
* With no guarantees, Hughes faces White Sox
– Alden
Game 96: Yankees at Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — Interesting read on the front page of the St. Petersburg Times this morning, on the criticism of Tropicana Field and how it affects attendance.
With CC Sabathia starting on his 31st birthday today, I filed a column on his recent stretch, his chances of winning 300 and the possibility that he’s only reaching his prime right now.
CC (pictured right by The Associated Press) said he hasn’t made a decision yet on whether or not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract (though the popular belief is that there’s no way he wouldn’t, considering how well he’s pitching, how important he is to the Yankees and how slim the free-agent crop of starters will be this offseason).
Asked if he can see himself finishing his career in New York, he said: “Of course. This is definitely one of the storied franchises in baseball, and to be able to be a part of it and win a championship two years ago was great. Hopefully I can continue to be here.”
Asked if he feels the Yankees need to make a rotation addition before the non-waiver Trade Deadline, CC said: “We’re good. Of course, you can always try to do something, but with the way we pitched this year, I think we can be good enough to make the playoffs.”
Interesting lineup prior to the rematch of CC and James Shields. Curtis Granderson is out, as expected, after getting banged up on Wednesday. And Brett Gardner is leading off, with Derek Jeter batting second, as Joe Girardi hinted at prior to Wednesday’s game. The fact Granderson and Alex Rodriguez are both out made that a pretty easy decision.
Only time will tell if Gardner continues to lead off on a consistent basis moving forward, but Girardi did say he has no problem leading him off against a lefty starter now …
YANKEES (57-38)
Gardner, LF
Jeter, SS
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nick Swisher, RF
Jorge Posada, DH
Russell Martin, C
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Chris Dickerson, LF
Pitching: LH Sabathia (14-4, 2.64 ERA)
RAYS (51-45)
Ben Zobrist, DH
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Evan Longoria, 3B
B.J. Upton, CF
Justin Ruggiano, RF
Kelly Shoppach, C
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Elliot Johnson, SS
Sam Fuld, LF
Pitching: RH Shields (8-8, 2.60 ERA)
Some other links from last night …
* Yanks-Rays game story on redemption
* Yankees Notebook, on Granderson, Nova, lineups and roofs
* Preview for Shields and CC
– Alden
Game 95: Yankees at Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — So, on Sunday, Sean Rodriguez shattered a light bulb. On Monday, there was a power outage. And on Tuesday, Curtis Granderson lost a ball in the roof. What’s the next strange occurrence at this quirky Tropicana Field?
We’ll find out soon.
Joe Girardi called an audible with his lineup just before batting practice, opting to put Nick Swisher in as the designated hitter and start Andruw Jones in right field. Girardi said it wasn’t physical — “Just changed my mind.” — so he probably just wanted to give Swisher a break from the turf, since he hasn’t had one yet in this second half.
Derek Jeter is back leading off, which is no surprise but is interesting considering how much he has struggled (5-for-26 since that magical 3,000th-hit day) and how well Wednesday’s No. 9 hitter, Brett Gardner (.591 batting average in the second half), is hitting. Girardi talked pregame about the possibility of a top three of Gardner, Jeter and Granderson while Alex Rodriguez is out. As for Jeter dropping to the bottom third of the lineup? I’d think something really drastic would have to take place for that to happen.
The lineup’s below, but I’m curious as to how y’all would order things while A-Rod is out …
YANKEES (56-38)
Jeter, SS
Granderson, CF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Swisher, DH
Russell Martin, C
Jones, RF
Eduardo Nunez, 3B
Gardner, LF
Pitching: RH Freddy Garcia (7-7, 3.43 ERA)
RAYS (51-44)
Johnny Damon, DH
Robinson Chirinos, C
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Evan Longoria, 3B
Matt Joyce, RF
B.J. Upton, CF
Sam Fuld, LF
Rodriguez, 2B
Reid Brignac, SS
Pitching: LH David Price (9-7, 3.73 ERA)
Some goodies from the game notes …
* The Yankees have had 17 players on the disabled list, the most of any Major League team in 2011 . Their current total of 11 players on the DL matches their total from all of last season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
* The Yanks are 19-9 with a Major League-high 39 homers vs. lefty starters this season.
* New York has gone seven straight games without allowing a homer, which marks its longest stretch since ’08.
* With one more stolen base, Gardner will become the first Yankees player with back-to-back 30-stolen-base seasons since Alfonso Soriano did it in three straight years from 2001-03.
* Opposing batters have hit just .182 with runners in scoring position off Garcia this year.
Some links from last night …
* Yanks lose, but Colon looks good
* Yankees Notebook, on Soriano, Nova, Mo and Garrison
* Yanks expect bounceback effort from Garcia
* HBO special on Jeter to air July 28
(picture above courtesy of The Associated Press)
– Alden
Bryan Hoch
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