Pregame notes: Posada very close to catching
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Jun 12, 2010 
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That picture is of Joba Chamberlain talking to Giants running back Brandon Jacobs before yesterday’s game. It has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I also just watched Sergio Mitre hit a batting practice home run to left field, so not a lot is making sense this morning.
The most significant update is about Jorge Posada, who could be a day away from catching in a game.
Posada said this morning that he “could be” behind the plate tomorrow. At the very least, Joe Girardi promised to have news about Posada tomorrow.
“I’ll get a chance to talk to our medical staff and we’ll have something for you tomorrow,” Girardi said.
Posada has hit just .133 with no extra-base hits since coming off the disabled list, but he’s hoping that getting behind the plate will help turn him around with the bat. This whole designated hitter thing has taken some getting used to. Posada has tried stretching, hitting in the cage, riding the bike, stretching and watching video but he said he still isn’t sure what to do with himself between innings.
“It’s not easy,” Posada said. “It’s not dislike or like, it’s just not easy when you play every day. It’s like pinch hitting four times. It’s the toughest thing to do. You just have to get used to it.”
• Girardi isn’t sure yet whether Alex Rodriguez is available as a pinch hitter, but he showed up at the park with no plans of putting him in the lineup. “He’s not ready to go,” Girardi said. “We’ll continue to evaluate him every day and see what availability we have of him every day.”
• Girardi blames the injury on that extra-innings game in Toronto more so than Rodriguez’s surgery or his workload. “He didn’t really have a problem until he played that 14-inning game on the turf,” Girardi said. “Is it workload or was it the 14 innings on the turf? If I was a guessing man, I would guess it’s the latter.”
• Brett Gardner took full batting practice this morning. Girardi said it’s possible Gardner could be in the lineup tomorrow.
• Although Posada is nearly ready to catch, Girardi said he won’t be immediately ready to trim his roster down to two catchers. “I think you have to see him behind the plate and how he reacts the next day,” Girardi said. “Or if we play him two days in a row how he reacts.”
• When the Yankees released Randy Winn, Girardi cited Kevin Russo’s versatility as one of the reasons they chose to keep Russo over Winn. With injuries to Gardner and Rodriguez, that flexibility has come into play. “Whenever you ask someone to make a position change, and you don’t give them a ton of games to do it, you have to be pretty athletic to be able to make that adjustment,” Girardi said.
• What’s made a difference for Javier Vazquez in his past few starts? “It’s been command,” Girardi said. “It’s staying out of the middle of the plate. Staying down in the zone. Not getting into long counts with hitters.”
UPDATE, 12:08 p.m.: Astros lineup.
Michael Bourn CF
Jeff Keppinger 2B
Lance Berkman 1B
Carlos Lee DH
Hunter Pence RF
Geoff Blum 3B
Jason Michaels LF
Humberto Quintero C
Tommy Manzella SS
LHP Wandy Rodriguez
Associated Press photo
Jacobs makes Joba look small.
Joba is a pretty big kid and look how small he looks next to Jacobs….that dude is a beast.
do we know how Javy pitched against Houston last year? He probably saw them at least a couple time, right?
Everyone that thinks Javy is a “NL pitcher” should be relieved today.
Rishi-
He faced them once and pitched 7 innings of 3 hit SO ball.
thanks, MTU…good to know
This is some ugly soccer. Awful fundamentals from both squads.
Have there been any recent updates on Aceves?
Phil-
There was something yesterday.
He is getting ready to begin throwing off a mound. No timetable.
Hey MTU – thanks for your kind words last night my friend.
Hello all,
I think we need Javy to show he can handle left handed hitters, before we could officially write off his awful start to the season. We’ll see.
Also, I finally opened up a blog. Take a look if you guys can and have at it.
http://yankeescentral.blogspot.com/
Any guesses?
My guess is Vazquez.
SAS
We live in Yonkers.
Girardi still didn’t get Cashman’s memo that Alex isn’t playing until Tuesday or was Cash misquoted last night?
MTU
Thanks, was hoping for better news on him.
Bronx-
You’re escaping the world of the mundane, and you are really making a difference.
What more can anyone ask.
You are most welcome.
Joba IS small.
Joba has become smaller with each passing year since 2007.
Well my friend, all I can say is thank you muchly for recognizing such. :B
Phil-
In my eyes that was good news. He could be on the operating table right now.
Just to clarify, Aceves is close to throwing off flat ground. He still has some progress to make before he’s ready for a mound.
Roy Oswalt really, really wants to pitch for the Yanks:
http://www.chron.com/disp/stor.....49207.html
Thanks Chad for the info
MTU
Your right, back problems suck though. Once you have a back issue they never seem to go away.
Phil-
If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d bet that AA winds up needing surgery @ some point.
Hopefully, they can nurse him thru the season and it gets taken care of in the off season.
MTU (aka GBURL) June 12th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Phil-
If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d bet that AA winds up needing surgery @ some point.
Hopefully, they can nurse him thru the season and it gets taken care of in the off season.
************
I’m afraid you could be right. Miss what he brings to the pen.
MTU (aka GBURL) June 12th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Phil-
If I were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d bet that AA winds up needing surgery @ some point.
Hopefully, they can nurse him thru the season and it gets taken care of in the off season.
************
I’m afraid you could be right. Miss what he brings to the pen.
Phil-
Again. To look on the bright side.
If AA gets that surgery and it’s successful he might be even more useful going forward.
MAN B. Jacobs s one fit dude, Joba looks like a boy standing next to him. What if CC was that fit in his upper body and core? I shudder to think of…. the major AL damage!
re: Phillies
Don’t worry. They are playing the yanks next. And Yankee pitching is the perfect elixir for reviving slumping offenses.
pat June 12th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Can someone tell me why it sounds like a swarm of bees have invaded the World Cup game on ESPN or is it just our TV
—————-
Thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that!
No but Phillies pitching certainly is.
MTU,
I can only speak from my own experience, but IMO surgery is the last option I would go for. I know Aceves is young and in good physical shape, but once a back has been operated on, the odds of being 100 percent again are slim.
Surely there are people who are fine after, and Aceves would receive the best care, but I do not know anyone in my personal experience who is the same. I have had a number of back surgeries and with the finest doctors in NY, I haven’t been the same. By the same token, I had no choice.
Ace is wort the investment, the Yankees bull pen went down when he left. The pen is doing better now, but they were unreliable when Ace first got hurt. Ace is worth the care and the investment. I really miss him, he was like Mo when he came in solid!
Sea Net June 12th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
pat June 12th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Can someone tell me why it sounds like a swarm of bees have invaded the World Cup game on ESPN or is it just our TV
?????-
Thank you! I?m glad I?m not the only one who noticed that
====================
It’s noisemakers they are using (that look like trumpets) – we were wondering the same thing
SAS-
I understand and I am sorry to hear that.
My personal experience relates to an Uncle of mine.
He suffered from a bulging disc impinging on his sciatic nerve.
He had a disc lamenectomy at around 70 or so. Healed in less than 3 months, and has been fine ever since.
Of course he is not a professional athlete but there are many types of back surgeries, and all we can hope is that AA’s is more amenable to treatment.
SAS-
One last thing. Remember to show me that painting.
MTU
I had a lamenectomy also. It helped for about 10 years, but I was in my early 40′s. I have had 3 fusions since, and I probably should have more heavy duty surgery on it according to some tests I had this winter. I can not say never, but it is last thing I would opt for ever again.
MTU,
I am saving your pictures until I return to AZ I think. You may be very disappointed in my work anyway. It is not exactly fine art, but I love having beautiful scenes to work from.
The Yankees pitching is a “cure” for a bad offense, Chris?
Really?
Proof of that or are you just another clueless child spouting nonsense?
Take a look at their pitching numbers this year. You may learn something.
if the phillies could hit against themselves they may break out of their slump.
Our bench won another game for us yesterday
Cervelli with a 2 run, 2 out single
Russo with a key walk and stolen base to set up what turned out to be the GW run.
Still want to whine about the bench?
SAS-
Again. Sorry to hear that.
Your case sounds quite a bit more complex. Was your initial injury the result of a physical incident or was it a congenital condition ?
Many people just have a single bulging disc caused by a single physical trauma others aren’t as fortunate and the disc material is congenitally weak resulting in more chronic issues.
My hope for you is that you are able to have an effective pain management regimen even if you choose to reject further surgery.
My apologies if I have been too personal.
Ledger_Yankees Member of the US Army Golden Knights just parachuted into Yankee Stadium, though I know some fans wish it was Cliff Lee instead.
half a minute ago via TweetDeck
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Blake-
Is that the Phillies idea of a circular lineup ?
just checking in while cooking and cleaning…
my 2 cents on backs…my husband has had back problems for about 15 years. However, he has learned thru exercise, PT and Chiropractic treatment , stretching etc how to control it. He is not a pro athlete, but he is an athletic beast. He has competed in several Ironmans (one more coming up in July), 24 hour mtn bike races, ultra running races etc. In his case, he has been able to manage it w/o surgery, which I think is a last resort.
MTU,
Lol, yea..I’m just kinda amazed that the Phils didn’t recognize that Cole Hamels isn’t what he used to be and how bad their rotation is after Halladay. Perhaps they should have focused more on 2-5 than swapping Lee for Halladay and extending Ryan Howard?
MTU,
I did something awkward in high school. Although I had many good years after that, by the time I was 32, I have had more serious problems.
All I was saying about Aceves is there are no guarantees with back problems, and surgery is the last place I would go as a young man. The downside risk is greater than with other types of surgery.
Blake-
Another case of Amaro the Bizarro in action.
SAS-
Artroscopic lamenectomy tends to yield good results in some cases.
And of course the trauma and healing time are greatly reduced but you are absolutely right IMO in stating that surgery, any surgery, should be a last resort.
MTU,
I am sure if a lamenectomy can be done arthoscopically it is a better recovery. Mine was done before that was being done.
Good gracious, the Red Sox better hope they can make up some ground the next 8 days.
Beginning the 22nd, they plan 24 of their next 31 games on the road, including two west coast trips, the latter being 10 games in 10 days.
They also play the Rays 5 times (3 in Tampa) and at the Jays for 3.
Yikes!
if they could face Jamie Moyer every time, they would be just fine!
SAS-
It’s miraculous whats being done these days using MIT.
It is revolutionizing surgery and patient outcomes.
I’m sorry it wasn’t available at the time you needed it.
Personally, I can envision the day when all surgery is rendered obsolete by gentic control of regenerative processes.
We see the beginnings of that magic even now.
Those who follow us will benefit from continuing advancements in science and medicine.
It’s fantastic.
stuckey – this is where the Yanks strong start to the season – despite the road trips – becomes so important. That cushion kept them in the forefront, so that they can now make a move, while Tampa comes down to earth and Boston has a rough schedule. If the Yanks keep playing well know, they will move into 1st, and very comfortably.
I know, there’s a lot of baseball to be played. But you have to build your record and take advantage of the schedule when you can.