The LoHud Yankees Blog

Wang to DL, Robertson coming.

Ransom on DL (quad). No word on who is coming.

Bruney has an injured elbow. Tests tomorrow.

UPDATE, 11:53 p.m.: Bruney was sent back to New York for an MRI.

YANKEES (9-6)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Posada C
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Molina C
Ransom 3B

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (0-0, 5.06).

Chamberlain vs. the Boston hitters.

RED SOX (9-6)
Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Youkilis 1B
Drew RF
Bay LF
Lowell 3B
Varitek C
Green SS

Pitching: LHP Jon Lester (1-2, 5.50).

Lester vs. the New York hitters.

THEY MEET AGAIN: The Yankees are 19-17 against the Red Sox the last two seasons. Remarkably, only three runs separate the teams over those 36 games. The Yankees have scored 200 runs, the Red Sox 197.

SWISH’S SLUMP: While his OBP is a robust .433, Nick Swisher is 4 for 25 (.160) in the last seven games with one RBI, two extra-base hits and seven strikeouts.

CAPTAIN COMEBACK: Derek Jeter has hit his first four home runs in 59 at-bats. That’s the quickest he has got to four home runs since 1999, when it took him 36 at-bats.

KING KONG KABRERA: Melky Cabrera’s last four hits have been home runs.

HIDEKI HEATS UP: After a 4 for 27 starts, Hideki Matsui is 6 of his last 14.

AN ALL-STAR AGAIN?: Robinson Cano has hit safely in 24 of 25 games dating back to last season. He is 22 of 60 (.367) and has walked six times.

HOMER HAPPY: The Yankees have at least one home run in nine straight games.

MAGNIFICANT MO: Mariano Rivera is has not allowed a run in seven innings this season and has thrown 67 of his 97 pitches for strikes.

BULLPEN BOUNCE BACK: Yankee relievers in the last three games have allowed one run over 12 innings.

Back with much more later

Remember, for news from the other side, visit WEEI.com and the Full Count Blog.

UPDATE, 4:09 p.m.: Chien-Ming Wang is not here and may not be.

UPDATE, 4:29 p.m.: No move yet on Wang, Girardi just said. They’re having him examined by Dr. Mark Lindsay, the rehab specialist working with A-Rod.

It sounds like they’re paving the road to the DL.

UPDATE, 4:35 p.m.: Girardi just said A-Rod had his best day yet of rehab. He indicated that he’s very close to a minor-league game.

UPDATE, 5:54 p.m.: If you’re in greater Hartford, I’m going to be on WTIC AM at 6:10 with Joe D’Ambrosio.

UPDATE, 6:23 p.m.: Brian Cashman just said he is waiting to talk to Dr. Lindsay and there is no news on Wang. In other words, he’s still on the roster. If they’re going to DL him, why not do it now and get a player here? It wouldn’t seem to make sense to play short.

UPDATE, 6:31 p.m.: Here is the audio of Joe Girardi’s pre-game press conference:

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UPDATE, 7:17 p.m.: We’re underway in Boston. Tex got booed but loud nearly like he did in Baltimore. Talk about a non-story.

UPDATE, 8:07 p.m.: Interesting game so far. Lester has struck out five and been aided by his defense as Mike Lowell just saved at least one run with a diving stop of a Swisher smash. Joba had a rocky first inning and a smooth second.

The Yankees have left five players on in three innings. The opportunities have been there.

UPDATE, 8:37 p.m.: Sorry for the lack of updates, been busy with my newspaper stories. Nice at-bat for Ransom as he doubles to tie the score. Then Jeter did what he had to do and drove in the go-ahead run.

Joba is walking a bit of a tightrope but has been able to skip out of trouble. Now that he has a lead, he needs a quick inning against the lower part of the order.

UPDATE, 8:44 p.m.: This is a self-created mess for Joba as he throws away a DP ball.

UPDATE, 8:45 p.m.: Then he gets another DP ball to end the inning. That’s three in four innings.

UPDATE, 9:29 p.m.: Joba allowed nine hits, walked four and hit one and allowed one earned run. That’s pretty solid, all things considered. Those double plays aren’t luck, they’re a product of command and a good sinking fastball.

The starters are out, 2-2 in the seventh. Another classic in the making.

It’s amazing to me that in the last 19 games these teams have played, they’ve each scored 95 runs.

UPDATE, 9:37 p.m.: Joba has a 2.78 ERA against Boston (22.2 innings), 2.51 in Fenway Park (14.1 innings). That’s impressive.

UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.: Remember when Hideki Okajima was unhittable against the Yankees when he first came over from Japan? Not so much now.

Bases loaded, one run in, nobody out. This is where Swisher and Cano need to step on their necks. Then the Yankees need to get six outs and give the lead to the Sandman.

UPDATE, 9:49 p.m.: The Yankees took a 4-2 lead. They needed to do more with that situation. Meanwhile, the commie Red Sox just played Take Me Out To The Ballgame instead of God Bless America.

Big inning for Phil Coke. Jon Albaladejo warming up.

UPDATE, 9:59 p.m.: Three outs to Mo. A rested Brian Bruney figures to be next up.

UPDATE, 10:09 p.m.: Not sure what Ransom did there. But he’s out. Now they may really need to make that move with Wang. They’re running low on position players.

UPDATE, 10:13 p.m.: Sharp-eyed Sweeny Murti of WFAN said Ransom hurt himself stealing second. … Meanwhile, the Yankees have left 10 men on base, six in scoring position. You have to wonder whether that’ll come back and get them.

UPDATE, 10:16 p.m.: Something is wrong with Brian Bruney. What else could it be? But Albaladejo is getting it done.

UPDATE, 10:20 p.m.: That was weird. Albie gets a strike and in comes Mo. This will be his first inning-plus appearance of the year, including spring training.

UPDATE, 10:28 p.m.: Mariano, what can you say? Jeter screws up a play and he comes back and fans Pedroia. Nothing rattles the man.

I’m trying to decide whether this game was about good pitching or crappy situational hitting. The teams have left 21 men on base.

UPDATE, 10:49 p.m.: Boy, I had a perfectly good story written, too.

Those LOBs came back to get them. They should have been up more than two runs.

UPDATE, 10:55 p.m.: Stunning turn of events here. But the Yankees do have Veras and Ramirez in their bullpen (and Steven Jackson). I can only assume Bruney is injured.

The Yankees are 4 for 16 with RISP and have left 12 men on base, eight in scoring position. In this park, that’s asking for trouble.

UPDATE, 10:59 p.m.: Pedroia saves a run there. Now Damon has a chance.

UPDATE, 11:02 p.m.: This would certainly get Tex into the heat of the rivalry if he delivers here against Papelbon.

UPDATE, 11:21 p.m.: Nice job by Marte. … Bruney was not in the bullpen. So clearly something is up. … Meanwhile, if Brett Gardner can’t get a good bunt down there, he’s not much use to the cause. That’s fundamental baseball.

As I wrote that, the Yankees have two on and one out. Can they mess up another opportunity? Something has to give.

UPDATE, 11:29 p.m.: Golden sombrero for Big Papi. 1 for 6 with four strikeouts. Next time worry about yourself, not Joba Chamberlain. He’s .215 on the season.

Heard from several readers who met Bernie Williams today in Boston. He was signing copies of his new CD, Moving Forward, at Borders Downtown Crossing.

Bernie also was out with several of his old teammates last night.

Moving Forward debuted at No. 2 on the contemporary jazz chart. Bernie’s CD is really good, so check it out if you like soothing guitar licks. Plus there’s the version of Glory Days he did with Bruce Springsteen back in 2007.

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Speaking of Bruce, here’s a chance to do a good deed and maybe get yourself a great collectible.

Photographers For Hunger is taking $25 donations for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Once you donate, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of 14 iconic photographs of Springsteen.

The photographers involved include Annie Leibovitz, Eric Meola, Danny Clinch and Frank Stefanko. There are some great shots.

I know we have a lot of Bruce fans on the blog and wanted to make sure you all knew about this opportunity. The FoodBank does great work.

http://www.backstreets.com/hunger/

As they usually do before the first game on a road series, the Yankees are here early taking batting practice and getting some work in.

Let’s see who we can see … Pena, Cabrera, Gardner Cano, Posada, Jeter, Ransom, Swisher. That looks like it.

Keep in mind that every player has a different routine. Just because somebody isn’t put early doesn’t mean he’s a dog. Some guys lift or run in the afternooon or prefer to hit in the cage, etc.

Remember, for news from the other side, visit WEEI.com and the Full Count Blog.

You know the story. The Red Sox nearly traded for Alex Rodriguez before the 2004 season, the MLBPA wouldn’t sign off on it and he went to the Yankees. The Red Sox have won two World Series since, the Yankees none.

Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports had some fun today, wondering what it would have been like had A-Rod ended up in Boston.

Gordon pictures a happy ending in Boston. Obviously he didn’t ask any Yankees fans how it really turns out.

Back later with the lineups.

If you pay attention to minor-league box scores, you may have noticed that Trenton had a new DH named Jorge Vazquez. He was 2 for 4 with a homer and drove in all four runs in a 4-1 victory against New Britain.

Vazquez is a 27-year-old right-handed hitter from Mexico who has 10 years of experience in the Mexican League. The Yankees signed him on Dec. 7 with little fanfare. He is a first baseman and can play a little third.

Vazquez played for the Tigres de Quintana Roo, hitting .321 over his career with 151 homers. He was .339/.398/.612 last season with 18 homers in 224 at-bats. Vazquez played for Mexico in the WBC, hitting .294 in five games an driving in five runs. He had a grand slam against Australia.

The Yankees list him as 6-foot, 225 pounds in their media guide. I’ve also seen him listed as 6-2, 235.

The Yankees had good success with Alfredo Aceves last season. Perhaps Vazquez will emerge as a right-handed option late in the season. Given the fragile nature of Hideki Matsui’s knees, having a few DH types in the organization makes sense.

Greetings from Boston. Technically, outside of Boston at the moment. It’s sunny and warm here and supposed to stay that way all weekend. Good baseball weather.

Yankees-Red Sox will never be an afterthought. But April baseball games have taken a bit of a backseat here to the Celtics and Bruins being in the playoffs, the Patriots preparing for the draft and the sordid tale of the Craigslist Killer.

But you can be sure that old Fenway Park will be buzzing tonight as Jobamania takes on Jon Lester. Tomorrow’s Burnett-Beckett matchup has the makings of a classic.

Meanwhile, it seems fairly evident that Chien-Ming Wang is headed for the DL and that somebody else (Phil Hughes, keep your phone charged) will start in Detroit on Tuesday. Then it stands to reason — doesn’t it? — that the Yankees should DL Wang today and call somebody else up for the next four days. You can essentially get an extra player until you need Hughes.

The only 40-man position players not in the majors are Francisco Cervelli and Juan Miranda. Or they could go with a pitcher. But after a day off, might Miranda be more helpful?

Remember, for news from the other side, visit WEEI.com and the Full Count Blog.

As you may have heard, the Yankees will be playing three games in Boston against the Red Sox this weekend.

The old rivals are tied for second in the AL East at 9-6, trailing those inexplicably good Toronto Blue Jays.

The LoHud Yankees Blog will be joining forced with Rob Bradford and WEEI.com and the Full Count Blog. We will be updating constantly throughout the series, as will they. So check in here for the latest on the Yankees and keep an eye on Full Count for the latest on the Red Sox.

Rob Bradford and his crew do a great job and there will be plenty of info on the opposition. We’re hoping this will help the fans of both teams stay informed when the teams play during the season.

You may remember C.J. Henry, a high school shortstop the Yankees took with their first-round pick in 2005. He predicted at the time that he would be in the majors in a few years.

Henry was a colossal bust and was one of the prospects traded to Philadelphia in 2006 for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle. The Phillies gave up on him after two seasons and the Yankees picked him back up last season as a free agent.

In 272 minor-league games, Henry hit .222 and made 57 errors.

But Henry had options. Once a big-time basketball player, he quit baseball last year and joined the University of Memphis as a walk-on. The Yankees, as part of his original contract, were responsible for his tuition. He never played because of a fractured foot.

Coach John Calipari took Henry on to assist in recruiting his brother, high school All-American Xavier Henry. But when Calipari left Memphis for Kentucky, so did the Henry brothers. They announced on Thursday that they will play for Kansas.

Because he was a walk-on at Memphis, C.J. Henry will be eligible to play right away for the Jayhawks. He has not played hoops since 2005 but was once a highly regarded point guard.

“As long as I’m healthy and in shape,” Henry told reporters, “my game is gonna end up speaking for itself. So I think I’m gonna play.”

The Yankees? They’re still on the hook for tuition.

Mark Teixeira can expect a rough reception at Fenway Park this weekend. Ernie Palladino has the story.

Chien-Ming Wang got some work in down in Tampa. This notebook also has an update on Alex Rodriguez.

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This story has nothing to do with baseball. But check out Sam Borden’s tale of a high school science teacher in Rockland County who moonlights as a professional wrestler. It’s a good read.

There’s also a video of Sam being schooled on some rasslin’ moves.