The LoHud Yankees Blog

Sample sizes are always small in spring training, and it’s impossible to draw any real conclusions from A.J. Burnett’s 21-pitch debut this afternoon. But as a first step toward building confidence and putting mechanical changes to work, it was a positive.

“You have to have confidence in yourself and believe no matter what,” Burnett said. “Taking it pitch by pitch and not questioning every little thing you do out there goes with confidence. Get the ball back and throw it to Cervelli. Don’t worry about, did I swing (in my delivery) that time? Larry will let me know that. Just go out there and make a pitch, pitch after pitch.”

A few things to take from today’s two scoreless innings:

• Burnett threw 21 pitches, 15 for strikes. He never threw back-to-back balls.
“I feel like I’m able to correct it after (missing a spot) once,” Burnett said. “As opposed to, I did it and, oh god, what was it? Was it my arm? Was it my leg?… I know how I feel, muscle memory from what I’ve been working on, I’m going to correct it the next pitch. Just get the ball back, look at the sign and go.”

• Burnett took his quieter mechanics to the mound, and Joe Girardi said Burnett’s stride was off line only once this afternoon.
“It’s not a swing, it’s a little turn,” Burnett said. “There’s going to be a turn (in the delivery), but as long as I lift to that turn and not karate kick up to it — if you want to call it (that) — it will be a lot better, more of a balance point and being able to stay on a line toward home plate as opposed to pulling off toward the dugout.”

• I don’t know how stressed a veteran pitcher gets in an early spring training game, but Burnett did put two runners on with no outs and induce back-to-back ground balls to get out of trouble.
“I’m actually comfortable right now out of the stretch more than the windup, because out of the stretch I’m not turning as much,” Burnett said. “It’s a quick leg kick and straight toward home plate. I’m a little more comfortable in the stretch right now, but it’s the first time out there on the mound and I have a lot of work to do, still.”

Here’s Burnett.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

After fouling a ball off the arch of his left foot, Francisco Cervelli went for a CT scan that was negative. He then went for an MRI that was not conclusive. Doctors are going to review the MRI results further tonight and the Yankees hope to know more tomorrow.

“He wanted to stay in (the game),” Joe Girardi said. “I said, no, this is spring training.”

Cervelli didn’t sound too concerned when he left for the tests, but clearly he doesn’t have the best luck in spring training. He broke his wrist two years ago and was hit in the head last year.

“He might need to get on Mo’s program,” Girardi said.

YANKEES (1-3)
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada DH
Andruw Jones LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Colin Curtis RF
Justin Maxwell CF

RHP A.J. Burnett (10-15, 5.26 in 2010)
Burnett vs. Astros

ASTROS (0-2)
Michael Bourn CF
Clint Barmes SS
Brian Bogusevic RF
Jason Michaels DH
Bill Hall 2B
Brett Wallace 1B
J.R. Towles C
J.B. Shuck LF
Matt Downs 3B

RHP Bud Norris (9-10, 4.92)
Norris vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m., YES Network and MLB Network

WEATHER: A few clouds in the sky, but otherwise a beautiful day with a pretty strong wind blowing in from center field. It’s going to take quite a bit to get a ball out of here today.

UMPIRES: HP Dan Iassogna, 1B Mark Wegner, 2B Manny Gonzalez, 3B Tyler Funneman

ON THE LINE: A.J. Burnett has a rotation spot locked up, but a strong debut might do a little bit to ease some of the concerns about last year’s numbers. This game is also another chance for Francisco Cervelli to make his case for the backup catcher job.

NEW EXPERIENCE: It’s not especially unusual when young National League pitchers face the Yankees in spring training, but Houston starter Bud Norris has never faced any of the Yankees in the regular season.

ALSO PITCHING TODAY: Sergio Mitre, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, David Phelps, Hector Noesi and Luis Ayala should be enough to get the Yankees through nine innings. Mitre will likely throw two innings after Burnett throws his two innings.

ALSO PITCHING FOR HOUSTON: LHP Douglas Arguello, RHP Jose Valdez, RHP Casey Fien, RHP Jordan Lyles and RHP Cesar Carrillo. Rule 5 pick Lance Pendleton — taken from the Yankees — is on the trip, but he’s not on the list of scheduled pitchers. Looks like he’s a backup today.

ON THE BENCH: The Astros have two games today, and manager Brad Mills is with the half of the team that’s playing against the Tigers. Bench coach Al Pedrique is serving as the Houston manager in Tampa.

LOOKING FOR ONE MORE: Sergio Mitre will make his second spring training appearance. He got the win on Sunday, which has been the only Yankees win so far.

UPDATE, 1:10 p.m.: Eight pitches, seven strikes for Burnett in the first inning. He got a routine grounder, got Barmes looking at a breaking ball and got Bogusevic to roll over a ground ball to first. He’s cured!

UPDATE, 1:27 p.m.: Thirteen pitches, eight strikes for Burnett in the second inning. The Astros had two singles — one by Jason Michaels, one by Bill Hall — but both were weak flares to shallow right-center. With runners at first and second and no outs, Burnett got a double play and a ground out to third to end the inning without allowing a run. Hard to know too much after two innings, but that wasn’t a bad start.

UPDATE, 1:32 p.m.: Alex Rodriguez led off the bottom of the second with a double that one-hoped the wall in left field. Two ground outs brought him home for a 1-0 Yankees lead.

UPDATE, 1:38 p.m.: Francisco Cervelli fouled a ball off his foot in the bottom of the second, but he stayed in the game after being checked briefly on the field. As expected, here’s Sergio Mitre to pitch the third inning for the Yankees.

UPDATE, 2:12 p.m.: Francisco Cervelli has a bruised left foot. No tests currently scheduled.

UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Been up and down to the clubhouse in these late innings, so I haven’t seen a ton of the game. The Yankees, though, are making things interesting here in the bottom of the ninth. Down 5-1 when the inning started, four straight batters have reached base, it’s now 5-3 with no outs and the tying run at second base. I’ll be back down in the clubhouse shortly, so I might not see the end, but the young guys are making a run at it here in the end.

Granted, the young guys also kicked the ball around through a four-run, three-error seventh.

UPDATE, 3:55 p.m.: Game-tying, two-run single by Melky Mesa brings Eduardo Nunez to the plate. We’re now tied at 5.

All eyes will be on A.J. Burnett this afternoon at Steinbrenner Field. These might very well be the most scrutinized two innings of spring training.

Burnett will be facing a split-squad of Astros, who also have a home game today. Houston’s lineup will not include either Carlos Lee or Hunter Pence, but the Astros are traveling with big league regulars Michael Bourn, Bill Hall and Brett Wallace.

As you’re well aware, Burnett is coming off the worst year of his career, a debacle of a season that included a 5.26 ERA and winless months of June and August. This winter, Burnett began working early with new pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who assigned Burnett a series of exercises intended to help him repeat his delivery.

Burnett will be the last of the Yankees top three starters to make his spring training debut.

• The Yankees are at home today, which means no travel, which means enough time for a full squad workout before today’s game against the Astros. We’ll see the standard hitting and fielding drills this morning, then the field will be prepared or the actual game.

• Looks like Andrew Brackman is still on schedule for tomorrow’s bullpen. He’s been able to play catch with no recurring groin problems. “I haven’t felt it in a couple of days,” he said.

• Although indications were that Greg Golson would play today, it looks like he’s getting another day off after being beaned in the head. He is, however, on the field for pregame drills. He wouldn’t be out there if the Yankees were worried about him.

• If you follow the minor league system, it’s interesting that left-hander Steve Garrison went two innings yesterday. The Yankees have been slow to stretch their minor leaguers beyond one inning, and they certainly haven’t done that with any minor league relievers. Yesterday seems to indicate the Yankees plan to have Garrison working out of the rotation rather than the bullpen. Garrison said he hasn’t been told one way or the other, but he’s been a starter throughout his career, only pitching in relief when he was coming back from an injury.

• CC Sabathia threw an early bullpen this morning. Mark Prior is also scheduled for an early side session, while Bartolo Colon, Dellin Betances and Pedro Feliciano will throw sides later this morning.

• There are two sim games scheduled for today — basically the same as live BP — with Romulo Sanchez and Warner Madrigal pitching against Austin Krum and Doug Bernier. Jose Gil and Gustavo Molina will handle the catching.

• Former Yankees minor leaguers Lance Pendleton and Jose Valdez are among the Astros who will be in Tampa for today’s game. Pendleton is a Rule 5 pick trying to win a spot in the Astros rotation. Bud Norris is starting for Houston.

• In their next three games the Yankees will face the Rays James Shields, the Red Sox Clay Buchholz and former teammate Chad Gaudin, who’s now with the Nationals.

• Available pitchers: Sergio Mitre, Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, David Phelps, Hector Noesi, Luis Ayala, D.J. Mitchell, Robert Fish, Daniel Turpen and Adam Warren.

• Off the bench: C Austin Romine, 1B Bradley Suttle, 2B Kevin Russo, SS Eduardo Nunez, 3B Brandon Laird, LF Daniel Brewer, CF Melky Mesa, RF Jordan Parraz, DH Russell Martin

• On the road for Houston: The Astros are traveling with three of their top five prospects according to Baseball America. The organization’s top prospect, RHP Jordan Lyles, will be here along with shortstops Jonathan Villar (No. 3) and Jio Mier (No. 5).

ASTROS
Michael Bourn CF
Clint Barmes SS
Brian Bogusevic RF
Jason Michaels DH
Bill Hall 2B
Brett Wallace 1B
J.R. Towles C
J.B. Shuck LF
Matt Downs 3B

• Tomorrow’s travelers today: Tomorrow’s road trip is a long one, with the Yankees traveling nearly two hours to Port Charlotte. Not a fun drive. The regular infielders have the game off.

Pitchers who are making the trip: Brian Anderson, Dellin Betances, Ivan Nova, Robert Fish, Freddy Garcia, D.J. Mitchell, Ivan Nova, Ryan Pope, Andy Sisco, Daniel Turpen, Adam Warren and Eric Wordekemper.

Players who are not making the trip: Francisco Cervelli, Jorge Posada, Ronnie Belliard, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Andruw Jones and Justin Maxwell.

Associated Press photos of Burnett throwing a bullpen earlier this spring and a group of Yankees minor leaguers laughing from the bench during yesterday’s game

Mark Teixeira just announced that he has dropped Scott Boras as his agent. With his contract secure, Teixeira wants to focus on charity work and thought it was best to let someone else handle that. He has not yet hired a new agent.

Also, Greg Golson was expected to get in today’s game, but he’s not listed in the Yankees lineup or as one of the bench players scheduled to play. He’s on the roster as “available” but it looks like he’ll wait another day before coming back from that fastball to the head.

Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jorge Posada DH
Andruw Jones LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Colin Curtis RF
Justin Maxwell CF

This morning, Kevin Long stood in one of the batting cages tucked beneath the right-field stands at Steinbrenner Field. From 40 to 45 feet away, he fired fastball after fastball over the outer half of the plate so that Derek Jeter could take his hacks.

“It’s going to be an everyday thing,” Long said. “I’m going to give you probably the same answers that you’re getting today. This thing is not something that’s going to happen overnight… I was pretty firm today. It wasn’t like I was just laying it in there.”

Jeter and Long will continue to do extra work as long as it takes, while Jeter tries to adjust to his no-stride mechanics. It’s about repetition at this point.

“He’s going to pick it up at times,” Long said, talking about Jeter’s lead foot. “It’s something that he’s trying to get comfortable with. I don’t have a problem with it coming up as long as it doesn’t come in a whole lot. Pujols comes off the ground sometimes.”

A few links on this Tuesday night…

• The New York Times talked to Joe Mauer about being a big guy behind the plate. Mauer had some advice for Jesus Montero.

• Jon Heyman says the Yankees and Twins haven’t talked about a trade in month. That backs what Brian Cashman has been saying about the possibility of trading for Francisco Liriano.

• Ken Davidoff says the Yankees offered Johnny Damon the chance to play the outfield twice a week and DH once a week. Wonder if they have something similar in mind for Andruw Jones.

• Nick Johnson signed a minor league deal with the Indians.

• Speaking of former Yankees in Cleveland, turns out Austin Kearns was arrested for a DUI in Kentucky back in February.

It was kind of a random question, just a small bit of conversation in the back of the Yankees clubhouse. We’d just seen Jesus Montero throw out a couple of runners, so I asked Dave Robertson how Montero looked as a receiver behind the plate.

“He looked good,” Robertson said. “He looked real good.”

Maybe some of that was because Montero threw out one of those base runners to get Robertson out of his only inning, but Robertson also struck out two hitters while throwing to Montero, and Robertson’s emphatic support seemed to be perfectly in line with what we’ve been hearing all spring.

“I can’t tell you how many strides he’s made since last year,” Joe Girardi said.

The first runner Montero threw out today came on a 3-2 pitch where the hitter tried to check his swing but didn’t. The runner thought it was ball four, so he slowed up and was thrown out. It was such a strange situation, the Yankees didn’t get get a pop time on Montero (measuring how quickly he got the ball to second base). But the second thrown out base-runner was legitimate, and the Yankees had Montero under two seconds.

“He has a lot of arm strength,” Girardi said. “A lot of it’s footwork and staying down and short arm motion. He’s been able to shorten up his arm motion. He stays down. He’s made so many strides.”

Not a lot of notes today, but here’s the audio from Phil Hughes plus a few other items from today.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• Girardi said his only real complaint with Hughes’ outing was that he was up a little bit with his fastball. Otherwise, Girardi was pleased. “First time out, I was happy,” Girardi said.

• Still no game set in stone for Russell Martin to catch, but he’ll probably DH the second half of tomorrow’s game. Jorge Posada will get the start.

• Girardi explained the injury status of Andrew Brackman, Ronnie Belliard and Greg Golson this morning, but he said there are no other pressing issues as far as health. “Everyone else is good,” he said.

• The big hit of the day was Curtis Granderson’s first-inning triple. Otherwise, the Yankees had only two hits, an infield single by Nick Swisher and two bloop singles by Eric Chavez.

• Robertson had a two-strikeout inning. Steve Garrison pitched two innings after Robertson, both scoreless. The Yankees lost 2-0 with the runs charged to Brian Anderson and Andy Sisco.

• Boone Logan made the trip but didn’t pitch. That’s a big unusual for a big leaguer, but I’m sure he’d rather make this trip than Thursday’s, which is pretty far away.

Associated Press photos of Robertson and Brett Gardner

Phil Hughes seemed to know the changeup questions were coming, though I doubt he expected that he’d spend six minutes talking about a pitch he threw a total of three times today.

“I do want to get my curveball going and my cutter going,” Hughes said. “I’m not just going to throw a ton of changeups just to throw it because I want to get my other pitches going as well. I just feel like right now it’s a start, and hopefully when I get some more pitches the next time out, I’ll throw some more of them.”

Hughes said he’s been throwing a lot of changeups in his side sessions, and he’s more committed to the long-term success of the pitch. Hughes developed the changeup a lot last spring, then hardly used it when he got off to a terrific start last season. He’s not looking to re-invent the pitch, he just wants to gain the confidence to use it even when his fastball, cutter and curveball are working.

“The pitch itself is the same changeup,” Hughes said. “It’s just making sure I throw it enough that it’s actually a factor and in some of these hitters’ heads.”

One small adjustment is a combination of mental and physical. Like a lot of Yankees pitchers, Hughes said Larry Rothschild found a way to give him a little bit of advice that’s already paying dividends.

Pitchers are often told that they need to throw the changeup the same way they throw a fastball, because arm speed is important to create deception. Rothschild explained it a slightly different way, focusing on the finish instead of the beginning.

“Exploding my hand to the end,” Hughes said. “Really get that arm speed going to the end, not necessarily get it going from the beginning because hitters are only going to see your hand come through the zone. They don’t know your back stroke or anything like that. (Rothschild said) not to get too aggressive with it where it sails up out of the zone, just make sure you pop your hand at the end. It’s really stuck with me.”

YANKEES (1-2)
Brett Gardner LF
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Jorge Posada DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Jesus Montero C
Eduardo Nunez SS
Brandon Laird 1B
Ramiro Pena 2B

RHP Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19 in 2010)
Hughes vs. Pirates

PIRATES (2-2)
Alex Presley CF
John Bowker LF
Matt Diaz RF
Garrett Jones DH
Garrett Atkins 1B
Andy Marte 3B
Chris Snyder C
Josh Rodriguez 2B
Pedro Ciriaco SS

RHP James McDonald (4-6, 4.02)
McDonald vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m., not televised as far as I know

WEATHER: It’s still cloudy, but the tarp came off the field about an hour ago. Wind is blowing out to center field — maybe slightly to left-center — and it’s very muggy. Looks promising that they’ll play.

UMPIRES: HP Paul Emmel, 1B Wally Bell, 2B Tim Timmons, 3B Chad Fairchild

ON THE LINE: Phil Hughes was at the heart of last spring’s rotation competition, but he’s locked in this year. Instead, it’s the bottom half of today’s Yankees lineup that’s fighting for roster spots.

NEW EXPERIENCE: Exactly one current Pirate has a Major League at-bat against Phil Hughes. Lyle Overbay is 4-for-20 against him. Exactly one current Yankee has a Major League at-bat against James McDonald.

ALSO PITCHING TODAY: Dave Robertson, Steve Garrison, Brian Anderson and Andy Sisco were the first four names listed this morning, so I have to assume they’ll be the first four in the game. Boone Logan also made the trip, and it’s unlikely he’d go on the road unless he were guaranteed an inning.

ALSO PITCHING FOR PITTSBURGH: RHP Aaron Thompson, RHP Daniel McCutchen, RHP Chris Resop, LHP Daniel Moskos and RHP Ramon Aguero. McCutchen came up through the Yankees minor league system.

TOMORROW IN TAMPA: The Yankees return home tomorrow to play Houston, with RHP Bud Norris scheduled to start for the Astros. A.J. Burnett has the start for the Yankees. That game will be on YES.

UPDATE, 1:09 p.m.: After two ground outs by Gardner and Swisher, Granderson drove a triple to the warning track in center field. The center fielder seemed to have trouble going after it — maybe the wind was playing tricks — but misplayed or not, it was a legitimate drive to the deepest part of the park. Posada ended the inning with a 6-3 grounder.

UPDATE, 1:19 p.m.: After a leadoff walk, Hughes got a routine 4-6-3 double play and a fly out to right field to end the first inning. Swisher made a nice sliding catch — coming in toward the infield on a looping fly ball — for the last out.

UPDATE, 1:22 p.m.: Eric Chavez has opened the second inning with a bloop single to left field. Here’s Montero.

UPDATE, 1:23 p.m.: Montero grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. Baseball America has now moved Jorge Vazquez to the top of the Yankees prospect rankings. Montero has been dumped to No. 24.

UPDATE, 1:32 p.m.: That’s it for Hughes. Fly ball to right. Fly ball to center. Fly ball to left. The last out was pretty deep — Gardner was on the track, near the corner — but that’s ultimately two hitless innings in Hughes’ spring debut.

UPDATE, 1:39 p.m.: After a 1-2-3 top of the third — Gardner went down swinging to end it — Robertson is in to pitch for the Yankees.

UPDATE, 1:49 p.m.: Weird ending to the third inning. After a single — ground ball just past Chavez at third — and a strikeout, Robertson got another strikeout on a pitch most everyone seemed to think was ball four. The runner had taken off from first base, and he slowed up for the final 15 feet leading into second. Montero eventually threw — Robertson wasn’t expecting it — and threw out the base runner. Credit Montero with a caught stealing to end the inning, but it wasn’t a true steal attempt.

UPDATE, 1:56 p.m.: Chavez with his second bloop single of the day, this one to right field. The base hit came two batters after Swisher reached on an infield single. Montero grounded up the middle to end the inning. It’s still scoreless heading into the bottom of the fourth. Here’s Steve Garrison.

UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: Now there’s a legitimate caught stealing. Might have been a botched hit-and-run, but Presley was legitimately going for second base and Montero threw him out with plenty of room to spare.

UPDATE, 2:04 p.m.: A lot of throwing this fourth inning. For the second out, Gardner tried to make a sliding catch, knocked the ball down in front of himself, then he hustled over to throw the runner out trying to stretch a single into a double. For the last out, Nunez made a fairly routine stop to his left, then uncorked a rocket to first base. Pena is a better defender, but Nunez can really throw the ball.

UPDATE, 2:29 p.m.: Hughes said he threw three changeups today: One to the first hitter, one to the second and one to Garrett Atkins in the second inning. He’ll throw more as he gets stretched out, but right now he wants to also get his curveball
going and find his fastball command.

Right-hander Daniel McCutchen, one of the players the Yankees sent to Pittsburgh in the Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade, is scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen this afternoon in Bradenton.

The Yankees are playing the Pirates in between appearances by two other former teammates. Jeff Karstens pitched two scoreless innings for the Pirates yesterday, and Ross Ohlendorf will start against the Twins tomorrow (with Jose Veras pitching in relief).

PIRATES
Alex Presley CF
John Bowker LF
Matt Diaz RF
Garrett Jones DH
Garrett Atkins 1B
Andy Marte 3B
Chris Snyder C
Josh Rodriguez 2B
Pedro Ciriaco SS

RHP James McDonald