The LoHud Yankees Blog

The Yankees don’t necessarily need to see anything from Freddy Garcia this morning. They’re sending him to the minor league complex to start a game on an off day, but Garcia isn’t likely to show them anything new. At this point, Garcia simply needs to keep pitching, and the Yankees simply need to make a decision.

“I think we have a pretty good feel on what Freddy can do,” Joe Girardi said. “I said that we had a pretty good idea when he came into camp, just from watching him and seeing plenty of video of him and watching him compete. Now we’re getting to the point where we have to sit down and have a long meeting. Find that exact time to have a long meeting. There’s still some stuff we’ll look at, but they’ve put a pretty good body of work together, all of them. We have to sit down and find some time to have (the discussion).”

This final week of spring training will give the Yankees plenty of time to do that. They’re on the road only once more this spring. Today’s an offday and tomorrow’s a night game, providing a open window without much going on.

“You have your own opinions, you listen to other people’s opinions, and you make the best decision you can at that time,” Girardi said. “None of us can predict exactly what’s going to happen. One of those guys might go 32-0, but we don’t know that. So, without giving away what our thought process is and what my thought process is yet, until we all sit down and discuss it, I can’t really give you an answer.

“I know you’d love to have an answer, I understand that. Everyone wants to know, and I’m sure the players want to know too, but to be fair to everyone, you want to sit down and have that meeting, sit down and talk to the players, and then give you the decision.”

Phil Hughes had seven strikeouts tonight, and the way he remembers it, all but one came on a modified version of his cutter. Disappointed in the pitch this spring, Hughes tweaked his cutter grip and turned the pitch into more of a slider, something slightly slower and bigger.

“It’s probably technically more slider now,” Hughes said. “But I’ll still call it a cutter because I don’t want to get in the mode of getting around it and lazy with it. If I just tell myself it’s a cutter, I’ll throw it with conviction.”

Hughes threw a slider when he was younger, including his early years in the Yankees minor league system, but he eventually dumped the pitch and picked up the cutter. When the cutter disappointed him again last week, Hughes had Larry Rothschild work with him on finding a new cutter/slider grip. He tried a few slight modifications, found one he liked and used the pitched 25 to 30 times tonight. He threw it more than either his curveball or changeup.

“It’s bigger so I assume it has to lose a little velocity to get that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s something that’s slow enough that they recognize it… I have to give it my fastball arm speed and not get lazy with it. If I do that, I don’t think it will fall in the same mode I was when I was 16 years old throwing my slider, because I didn’t really know what I was doing (back then).”

Here’s Hughes, who began his interview with his usual banter, suggesting we wouldn’t be able to come up with a first question without Kim Jones, who usually starts the postgame interviews.

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.

Curtis Granderson is the fourth Yankee to hurt his oblique this spring, and the others told him that the day after is usually the worst. For Granderson, that was good news. He woke up feeling pretty good today. He can feel that something’s still not quite right, but the oblique didn’t really hurt him today.

“Normal movements feel fine,” he said.

The test will come when Granderson is cleared to begin baseball activities. Doctors have told him than an internal oblique injury is unusual — it’s usually the external that’s hurt — and Granderson said his injury is most similar to Joba Chamberlain’s. If he’s out a little more than a week, like Chamberlain was, it might make sense to DL him out of camp and add an extra outfielder for a few days. Granderson could stay back and play out the rest of the minor league spring schedule, which runs through April 3.

“(The weather in New York) can add to potential issues considering what we have and trying to keep it warm,” Grandersons aid. “Obviously being here in Tampa is the best place to be right now.”

Here’s Granderson discussing the injury before tonight’s game.

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.

• No X-rays for Nick Swisher, who fouled a ball off his foot and was taken out of the game. “Hopefully it’s just day-to-day,” Joe Girardi said.

• Facing another right-heavy lineup, Hughes didn’t use his changeup too often tonight, but he said he was happy with the handful he did throw. “The changeup definitely has its place,” Hughes said. “I didn’t change the slider to not have to answer any more questions about the (changeup).”

• When Girardi said pregame that he thought Granderson could be healthy enough for Opening Day, the the Yankees did not yet have the MRI results. Girardi said the MRI didn’t change his opinion. “I still think there’s a possibility he’s going to be there Opening Day for us,” Girardi said.

• If you missed it in the game post, Jorge Vazquez, Greg Golson, Jose Gil, Jordan Parraz, Brandon Laird, Kevin Russo and Melky Mesa were sent to minor league camp today. Russo, Mesa and Laird were optioned previously, but they’ll actually report to minor league camp this time.

• After the game, the Yankees also sent Ryan Pope, Steve Garrison and Eric Wordekemper to minor league camp. Pope and Garrison were previously optioned but had been sticking around big league camp to serve as backups.

• Sending Golson to minor league camp doesn’t rule him out of making the Opening Day roster. In fact, he was sent down because the Yankees consider him a possible replacement if Granderson does end up on the DL. “Goley is a guy that we would definitely consider if Curtis is down,” Girardi said. “We want him to go get some at-bats. He’s been kind of behind and I don’t want him getting one at-bat (per game) here.”

• Freddy Garcia will pitch at the minor league complex tomorrow. He’s the only big leaguer scheduled to pitch. Jesus Montero will catch him. Austin Romine caught A.J. Burnett at the minor league complex today.

• Alex Rodriguez’s 13-game hitting streak ended on Monday. Tonight, his streak of eight straight games with an RBI came to an end. He did go 2-for-4, though.

• Other than Rodriguez, the Yankees had only four hits, but they beat the Blue Jays 5-3. Derek Jeter, Greg Golson, Brandon Laird and Robinson Cano had the other hits.

• Jeter has a modest four-game hitting streak, with a double in two of the four games. He’s struck out once since March 6.

• One scoreless inning from Mariano Rivera, and one scoreless from Boone Logan. Logan once again struck out three. He also picked up his first save. Hughes was thrilled to learn he’d picked up his first spring win.

• Today’s lineup with Jeter in the leadoff spot and Brett Gardner batting ninth could be the Yankees usual setup against left-handed starters. Girardi said he’s seriously considering a different leadoff man for righties and lefties. “It could possibly happen,” he said. “It’s not unusual to have one lineup for left-handers and one for right-handers. Sometimes guys move up in the order or you drop a guy down a little bit.”

Associated Press photos

YANKEES (9-14-3)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner CF

RHP Phil Hughes (0-0, 4.20)
Hughes vs. Blue Jays

BLUE JAYS (12-10-1)
Rajai Davis CF
Yunel Escobar SS
Jose Bautista 3B
Adam Lind 1B
Aaron Hill 2B
Edwin Encarnacion DH
Travis Snider LF
Juan Rivera RF
Jose Molina C

LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (1-1, 3.46)
Reyes vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., note on television

WEATHER: Today was pretty much perfect. I’ll be back in the cold and snow soon enough, but today was another great day without a cloud in the sky. The wind is blowing out to center field a little bit. Nothing too crazy.

UMPIRES: HP Phil Cuzzi, 1B Eric Cooper, 2B Mark Wegner, 3B Andy Fletcher

ON THE LINE: Girardi is considering using two different lineups, one for lefties and one for righties. This is a look at what the lineup could look like against left-handed starters.

OUT OF THE BULLPEN FOR THE YANKEES: Mariano Rivera, Boone Logan and Luis Ayala are the first three relievers listed.

OUT OF THE BULLPEN FOR THE BLUE JAYS: LHP David Purcey is the only reliever listed in the Blue Jays notes. I’m sure they have more than that on the trip, though.

MORROW TO THE DL: The Blue Jays have announced that starter Brandon Morrow will open the season on the disabled list. Ricky Romero will start Opening Day for Toronto, followed by Kyle Drabek, Brett Cecil, Jo Jo Reyes and Jesse Litsch.

UPDATE, 7:03 p.m.: Couple of quick updates. Jordan Parraz, Jose Gil, Jorge Vazquez, Kevin Russo, Brandon Laird, Melky Mesa and Greg Golson have been sent to minor league camp. They’ll report after tomorrow’s off day.

Russo, Laird and Mesa were optioned previously, but they didn’t actually report. This time they will. Golson was sent down so that he can finally get at-bats.

Also, Curtis Granderson went for an MRI that showed a slight strain of the internal oblique. No tear and Granderson didn’t hear a pop when it happened, but it sounds like the Yankees might be cautious rather than push him toward Opening Day.

“The talks I’ve had with Cashman right away (were), we just need you ready,” Granderson said. “Whenever you’re ready, we want you ready. It doesn’t matter about Opening Day. As exciting as that is and as important as that is, it’s still just one game out of this whole 162-game season. We want you ready to go for the long haul, which is obviously the most important thing. That’s been the consistent conversation I’ve heard from not only (Cashman) but from Joe, the rest of the coaching staff and training staff as well.”

UPDATE, 7:38 p.m.: Phil Hughes looks sharp through three innings. He’s allowed two hits, but he’s struck out four and seems to have things working in the zone.

UPDATE, 8:08 p.m.: A couple of fourth-inning doubles gave the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead, but Hughes responded with a 1-2-3 fifth.

UPDATE, 8:29 p.m.: The Blue Jays and Yankees are basically wearing the exact same uniforms — both have dark tops — and Gardner just seemed to mistake a Jays base runner for the Yankees first baseman. He basically threw to first to try to double off a base runner, but there was no fielder to take the throw and instead everyone advanced. Kind of goofy. It’s 3-0 Toronto in the bottom of the sixth.

UPDATE, 9:08 p.m.: A four-run seventh has pushed the Yankees into the lead. They scored those runs on two hits, two walks, an error and a sac fly. The Yankees have a 4-3 lead, despite only four hits. Here’s Mariano Rivera to pitch the eighth.

The Yankees just made this announcement.

Today the Yankees have acquired LHP Jose Ortegano off waivers from Atlanta and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He will report to Minor League camp.

In 2010 with Triple-A Gwinnett and Single-A Myrtle Beach, he combined to go 5-15 with a 5.98 ERA (131.0IP, 87ER).

Sorry, I initially wrote that he’s a left-handed reliever, but Ortegano was a starter last year. I just have to imagine he’ll work as a reliever in Scranton. That rotation is pretty full.

Vice president Joe Biden stopped by Yankees camp this afternoon. I have no idea why, but he stood along the third-base line with a slew of staff members, Secret Service agents and photographers.

The VP was fortunate enough to witness perhaps the most boring off all spring training drills: Fielding drills for situational base running. A rotating cast of infielders and pitchers took turns going through the motions for pickoff moves, double steals, sacrifice bunts, etc.

Thrilling stuff here at Steinbrenner Field!

Some other notes from today:

• You might have noticed a ton of oblique injuries this spring. “(The staff) talked about it yesterday,” Joe Girardi said. “Is there anything (causing it)? It’s really not much different than what we did last year. It’s the same thing it’s just, for whatever reason, it’s happening this year. Maybe it’s the heat. It’s hot, the guys get dehydrated. That could be part of it. Last year they were hydrated. It rained every day.”

• A.J. Burnett threw 94 pitches in a minor league game this afternoon. His line: 5.2IP, 6H, 4ER, 3BB, 8K. Austin Romine was his catcher.

• Girardi said Joba Chamberlain came through yesterday’s outing just fine. Looks like he’s past his oblique issue. Greg Golson is scheduled to play off the bench today, so it’s like he’s more-or-less out of the woods as well.

• CC Sabathia’s start on Saturday might come at the minor league complex. Girardi said they’re talking about shuffling some rotation plans for Saturday and Sunday. Bartolo Colon and Manny Banuelos are being discussed as possible starters this weekend. Colon could go Saturday. “You have to start thinking about, if a guy makes a start on Sunday, and he’s possibly on your team, and he’s possibly going to be the long man, you’re going to limit how many pitches he could possibly give you on Thursday (for the opener),” Girardi said.

• Freddy Garcia will make a minor league start tomorrow. Girardi once again said there’s really nothing Garcia can show the Yankees to impact their decision at this point. This is just about getting him ready.

• If you’re curious, the Yankees outfielders were in the cage while the infielders, catchers and pitchers went through those fielding drills. Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher were with the infielders, doing their reps at first base. Eduardo Nunez was at third, Ramiro Pena at short and Ronnie Belliard at second. The other infielders, you can probably guess where they were.

• Off the bench: C Gustavo Molina, 1B Brandon Laird, 2B Ronnie Belliard, SS Ramiro Pena, 3B Eduardo Nunez, LF Jordan Parraz, CF Melky Mesa, RF Greg Golson

• Out of the bullpen: Mariano Rivera, Boone Logan, Luis Ayala, Steve Garrison, Eric Wordekemper, Ryan Pope, Buddy Carlyle and Josh Schmidt.

Associated Press photos of Biden’s visit

Curtis Granderson went through a series of tests with the Yankees training staff this afternoon, but he hasn’t been sent for an MRI or anything like that.

“I believe there’s a chance he’s going to play Opening Day,” Joe Girardi said. “Now, I haven’t talked to Geno yet about all the tests he’s been through, but I believe he’s got a chance to play Opening Day.”

Saying he has a chance to play on Opening Day, obviously also means there’s a chance he won’t play on Opening Day.

“Let’s let him go through tests and get back to swinging a bat before we say he’s through the woods,” Girardi said. “Golson was about 10 days before he started swinging a bat. Serge was three days (before he pitched again). You just kind of have to wait to see how each body (responds). Goley was more demonstrative about feeling his than Curtis.”

Girardi said Granderson described his discomfort by saying it felt like he’d just worked out for the first time in a long time. I take that to mean a certain kind of tightness and general soreness, but it’s a pretty vague description. As you might expect, the Yankees are not going to rush Granderson back into a spring game.

“We told him, look Curtis, we don’t need to rush this back where you say I have to play by Friday or Saturday,” Girardi said. “You don’t have to do that. Let’s just make sure that when you’re ready to go, you’re (really) ready to go.”

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Andruw Jones LF
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner CF

Major League Baseball just sent this press release.

Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies top the list of MLB Most Popular Jerseys released jointly today by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, based on sales of official Majestic jerseys for the 2010 calendar year.

Players representing 11 different MLB Clubs make up the list of top 20 most popular jerseys – including seven of the eight 2010 playoff teams — with seven different clubs in the top ten. In addition, 12 of the top 20 players are under the age of 30. The Phillies have the most players in the top 20 with four (Halladay, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee and Ryan Howard). Three rookies cracked the top 20 list, including Atlanta’s Jason Heyward, Washington’s Stephen Strasburg and San Francisco’s Buster Posey. The top 20 include ten infielders, four pitchers, four outfielders and two catchers. Of the top 20, 16 were All-Stars in 2010 and 15 played on teams that reached the Postseason.

MLB Most Popular Jerseys
Based on Majestic 2010 sales figures

1. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
2. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
3. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies
4. Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
5. *Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
6. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
7. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
8. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
9. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
10. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
11. Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
12. Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves
13. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
14. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
15. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
16. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
17. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
18. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
19. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
20. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

*Lee played for the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers in 2010, before signing with Philadelphia in November. His ranking reflects sales of jerseys for all three teams.

Also, Major League Baseball announced that sales of officially licensed MLB merchandise reached an all-time high in 2010, with total licensing revenues up +6% over the previous year. Products featuring the marks of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Phillies and Cubs were the hottest sellers in 2010 (top ten listed below).

MLB Licensing 2010 Club Rankings
Based on sales of all licensed products for the 2010 calendar year

1. New York Yankees
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Philadelphia Phillies
5. Chicago Cubs
6. St. Louis Cardinals
7. Chicago White Sox
8. Atlanta Braves
9. Minnesota Twins
10. Detroit Tigers

Associated Press photo

Yesterday in Sarasota, Jesus Montero went 1-for-2 with a bloop single, a walk and a strikeout. Although he’s been a little better in recent days, he’s still hitting just .222/.263/.278 this spring.

On Tuesday morning, Joe Girardi acknowledged that Montero might be pressing.

“I think so,” Girardi said. “I think it’s only natural. The first time that you have an opportunity to win a job in the big leagues, I think almost everyone is going to put some pressure on themselves. Very seldom do you see a guy not. A lot of times you’ll see a guy do much better when they know they’re not going (to the big leagues).”

I didn’t see Montero after yesterday’s game, but late last week he said he was still focused on improving behind the plate. His offense, he said, was not a concern.

“That’ll come,” Montero said. “I just worry about catching, try to do my best behind the plate and win games.”

That seems to be what the Yankees are most worried about too. Girardi has said he’s paying attention to the defensive strides of their backup catcher candidates, and frankly, both Austin Romine and Gustavo Molina are hitting below Montero’s spring numbers. Montero has hit enough in the minor leagues to make the Yankees — and just about everyone else — believe he’ll hit in the big leagues.

“There can be anxiety in hitting,” Girardi said. “They can try to do too much when they’re at the plate at a young age, trying to impress people. A lot of times, if you just do what you’ve been doing, it’s usually good enough. That can happen your first year in the big leagues, too. A guy has to figure out how to relax… (Montero) hasn’t hit like I think he’s capable of. Why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s not playing every day, maybe there is anxiety.”

Associated Press photo

The Yankees will find out tomorrow whether Curtis Granderson’s oblique injury is worth legitimate concern. Already this spring, the Yankees have seen one oblique injury take two or three days, another take roughly a week, and another take exactly two weeks.

In all three cases, the player in question — Sergio Mitre, Joba Chamberlain and Greg Golson — said the injury was not serious.

“The way (Granderson) was talking, it’s not that serious,” Andruw Jones said.

That’s obviously the best-case scenario. If Granderson is out for a couple of days, it’s a non-issue. If he’s out a couple of weeks, though, the Yankees might have to look into an extra outfielder to carry at the start of the regular season.

Colin Curtis might have been the perfect fit here.

As a left-handed hitter, Curtis would have been a nice compliment to the right-handed Jones, and he would have given the Yankees another option behind Brett Gardner in center field (I’m betting Curtis is better in center than Jones at this point).

Without Curtis, the Yankees still have two good options. Both Greg Golson and Justin Maxwell fit the profile of fourth/fifth outfielders who can play all three spots and offer some speed of the bench, but this is one situation in which a healthy Curtis might have jumped into roster contention.