Pregame notes: Rodriguez heading for a checkup
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on May 18, 2011 
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Alex Rodriguez said he feels absolutely no discomfort in his surgically repaired hip, but the Yankees want to have him checked out just in case. They’d like to do it on Friday, but there’s no appointment scheduled, and Rodriguez said he’s not in any rush.
It’s just something he and the team want to have done as a just-in-case measure.
“Checkups are going to be a part of the rest of my career.” Rodriguez said. “We’re doing it to be very proactive. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another one in October or January, and again we’ll be sitting here next year talking about that. We just want to make sure, that’s a certain box and we want to check it off.”
Rodriguez said there’s no pain or cause for concern, but he also noted that he had no pain or cause for concern prior to 2009. The Yankees have planned a series of checkups, and this will be one of them.
Although Rodriguez’s offseason checkups are in Colorado, this one will be in New York. He’s not even sure Dr. Marc Philippon will fly in for the checkup, the Yankees doctors might take care of it themselves.
It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s Alex Rodriguez, so becomes a big deal as a matter of course.
“There’s no urgency,” Rodriguez said. “When it’s convenient for everyone, we’ll get it done.”
• Nick Swisher looked bad last night. After seeing him the clubhouse in Tampa, I thought there was no chance he’d be in the lineup tonight. I wasn’t even sure he’d be at the stadium, but he was his energetic self this afternoon. “He seems to have a lot of life today, which is good,” Girardi said. “My concern today is probably more, how long does the life last?”
• Girardi said he won’t finalize the lineup until after batting practice. He wants to check with Swisher again to make sure he’s still feeling up to playing, but pregame, Swisher said he was good to go.
• Today was an off day in Phil Hughes throwing program. He’s scheduled to meet with doctors on Friday to determine how much he steps it up in the coming days. He did workout today, and he’s been doing his usual weight routine.
• Joba Chamberlain is 100 percent not available today. He’s here, but he won’t pitch after throwing three days in a row.
• Jorge Posada is not in the lineup against another left-handed starter. Girardi said he’s not completely eliminating Posada from the vs. LHP lineup, but in these long stretches, these games against lefties provide a natural opportunity to give someone else a half day off. Today it’s Derek Jeter.
• Despite his throwing problems, the Yankees are committed to Eduardo Nunez as their utility infielder. He’s been very good with the bat, just needs to get the throwing under control. “He’s done it in spring training,” Girardi said. “He did it a little bit last year, but he was playing every day down there (in Triple-A) and he’s got to get used to not playing every day, and it’s an adjustment. But we’ve seen what this kid can do. We’ve seen the excitement he can provide and we need him to be able to do it.”
ORIOLES
Felix Pie LF
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Luke Scott 1B
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Mark Reynolds 3B
Robert Andino 2B
Associated Press photos
The New York Yankees will reconsider Jorge Posada’s future with the team if his numbers don’t improve by the All-Star break, according a baseball official with knowledge of the Yankees’ thinking.
On Wednesday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi left Posada out of the lineup for the third straight time against a left-handed starter. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Posada is quickly becoming a part-time designated hitter.
The official said there has been “zero discussion” about releasing Posada now, even after his insurbodination last Saturday when he refused to play aginst the Red Sox after Girardi put him at the No. 9 spot in the order.
While the Yankees were extremely mad at Posada, they are giving him a little more rope.
By the All-Star break, the Yankees will have three options. They can stick with him, trade him or release him. One team source optimistically said it would be to stick with him. Posada is hitting .179 on the season.
“When it comes to Posada, I think he’s going to be better,” said one Yankee insider.
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-.....KHeadlines
“Why do you assume he is going to be a good catcher and then equally assume he would be bad at first? What if he is a bad catcher? Shouldn’t the yankees have the resources to have both a good catching and good hitting catcher?”
jerkface-
ahh, i see the problem you are having.
it took me about ten seconds watching montero to see that he could be an average defensive catcher if he wants to put in the time to learn the craft. he seems like he does.
with the elite bat and the average defensive catching potential i’d say the yankees kind of have to try him out there and see what they have.
i mean, isn’t that what they are doing?
Yes and they should try to make him a catcher first. The argument was never move him off catcher now to first. You, and others, confused it from the very start.
The Arod situation scares me. To be even talking about it means there is something going on. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
The same people who wanted Montero as the BUC catcher out of spring training and want Montero up to be BUC/part-time DH now are the ones who are presenting a hypothetical situation in which he could play 1B occasionally in several years to keep his bat in the lineup and give an aging Tex a DH day while also transitioning Montero away from catching in case another catching phenom is ready to catch every day.
Wait, that one is actually true.
I think that the Yankees, just like us, were puzzled why Alex was still mired in a slump. I had assumed he was injured, but I was thinking that it was his oblique. The Yankees apparently thought it was his hip. I thought his swing looked better last night. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the hits coming these next few days.
I’m sure Arod had other hip checks without anyone knowing it…so why is this public ?? Something might be up
OK, but how many times do you interrupt his chance at learning to be a good catcher? Yes, Posada is struggling and yes… more production could be found for the Yankee’s DH role… but why disturb the Jesus for no good reason?
The problems this lineup is having are not because of one spot in the lineup, so they cannot be solved by one spot in the lineup. Players that have to be playing every day are not hitting, and they are the ones that need to right the ship. 7 of the 9 lineup spots are essentially locked every day regardless of how they bat. How is one player in the DH role going to fix that whole thing? One young rookie never seen major league pitching player who isn’t exactly tearing the cover off the ball in AAA right now. Yes he’s playing well considering how he’s being pitched (i love you gb7, i really do), but just getting by isn’t the hot bat the Yankees are looking for.
Posada sucks right now. Nothing you can do to sugar coat it. Do we rush him out of town because the other 8 spots in the lineup can’t handle him getting his bat right? Just because the team goes 8-12 over a 20 game stretch in April/May and we are all jumpy because they got swept out of Boston via the Yankee bullpen?
The solution is just not coming through the DH. The every day guys have to start getting it done.
Now, who doesn’t believe they will?
OK, but how many times do you interrupt his chance at learning to be a good catcher?
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How is being immersed on a team that has Girardi, Pena, Martin, Posada/Cervelli on it going to interrupt his chance at being a good catcher?
jerkface – because nothing replaces the experience of live pitching.
Montero does not need to mentally conceptualize catching. He needs to physically learn how to do it right. Repetition, playing every day… is the only way.
If he was at the point where catching twice a week was going to help him (and some on the side in bullpens no doubt), he would already be here.
I do not care what the numbers are or whether its a lefty-righty thing . . .
Gardner and Posada should be in the game. 5 hits last night between them.
Seems to me, this team needs to get hot, and Girardi should be playing guys that are starting to hit. Not sitting them the very next night.
How is being immersed on a team that has Girardi, Pena, Martin, Posada/Cervelli on it going to interrupt his chance at being a good catcher?
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This is a young kid. He needs to play every day, not get tutored.
If Mauer can’t sustain being a catcher (as big as he is), what are the chances that Montero will?
If he was at the point where catching twice a week was going to help him (and some on the side in bullpens no doubt), he would already be here.
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This ignores things like roster crunch & service time
Who is saying Montero is going to fix the whole lineup?
Nobody here knows how big a factor the extra year of team control/Super Two stuff has played in team decisions about Montero.
Maybe none, maybe some.
And maybe the Yanks themselves don’t care about it but, as has been pointed out, potential trade partners might.
hman23
Girardi’s “book” says sit Gardner and Posada, no matter if they are getting hot.
i think the real question with montero is when to bring him up.
the time is getting close.
he can catch and he can hit.
i’d replace cervelli with him fairly soon to see what montero can do at the mlb level.
he can always go back down if he’s not quite ready.
i think posada is going to hit, but you never know. if posada continues to struggle montero can start getting some starts at dh.
this yankee team is a very stale boring team. it just doesn’t fit together well. they need something. i’d hit cano third in front of teixeira and bump alex to five. then i’d add montero to the mix and drop cervelli to triple a .
one not so subtle message to everyone is that the team would no longer be built around arod. it’s time to move on.
“one not so subtle message to everyone is that the team would no longer be built around arod. it’s time to move on.”
Huh? Alex’s contract runs through 2017. We won’t be moving on from him for quite some time.
RMS -
Yeah, I forgot. The same “book” that says even if Robertson or Joba look good in the 7th, and only throw 10 pitches, Soriano MUST come out in the 8th.
They should hit Jeter 9th, one not so subtle message to everyone is that the team would no longer be built around Jeter. it’s time to move on.
The fact that he is not here already only shows that they know how bad he needs to be a catcher for his future. Not many would argue that he isn’t ready to start figuring out major league pitchers. Not many will argue that he will figure it out, and he will be a good hitter.
His Yankee career at catcher is a clear path, he only has to get good enough and strong enough to get by a full season. Things like DH and 1B are fallback options, and are a dime a dozen int he FA market. Positions like that you worry about later, if he doesn’t become the catcher the team actually needs going forward.
“They should hit Jeter 9th, one not so subtle message to everyone is that the team would no longer be built around Jeter. it’s time to move on.”
Unless you want to die a slow and painful death, I suggest that you don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
Face-
What happens to DJ’s next two years of salary?
Yanks eat it?
If they really thought that something was wrong with Arod’s hip he would of seen the doctor already. It wouldn’t be something that they would be ok putting off. It’s not like he has any pain or anything…
The fact that he is not here already only shows that they know how bad he needs to be a catcher for his future.
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This ignores the issues of roster crunch and service time.
“The fact that he is not here already only shows that they know how bad he needs to be a catcher for his future. Not many would argue that he isn’t ready to start figuring out major league pitchers. Not many will argue that he will figure it out, and he will be a good hitter.”
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He is being blocked by a Yankee with a very important history on this team that happens to be making $13 million.
“stale and boring” –
randy, how can you complain about stale and boring when you have this blog?
Oh crap a rookie is on the mound…..
Service time is something small market teams worry about. The Yankees are going to stunt the callup of someone they think is totally ready over 1 year of money? I don’t believe that for a second.
randy – as far as when? at the end of the year, after 3/4 of the AAA season has gone by… late august? september when the roster expands? i want him to catch 100-120 games this year. a late callup get him some facetime with the pitchers, let him be buc so martin/cervelli get fresh for the playoffs. if he is hot and is hitting well, he can earn his way onto the playoff roster. if he is not, they worry about him being the BUC in spring next year.
Oh crap a rookie is on the mound…..
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Not the first time they’ve seen him though. Though the first time was in spring training.
I feel much better knowing that our Normal DH who is struggling at .160, has been replaced by our designated ground ball hitter…
Service time is something small market teams worry about. The Yankees are going to stunt the callup of someone they think is totally ready over 1 year of money? I don’t believe that for a second.
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Continuing to ignore the issue of roster crunch, and since the yankees have always been cognizant of their payroll and should be adapting to shifts in the market place (less good players hitting free agency, more teams locking up young talent for more years) you can’t discount service time as well.
one not so subtle message to everyone is that the team would no longer be built around arod. it’s time to move on.
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What would be the purpose of this message?
Alex can still be the best hitter in this lineup.
Working together, we’ve solved the Yankees’ problems.
See you all later, Go Yankees, crush Baltimore, reverse run line again!
“Checkups are going to be a part of the rest of my career.”
Exactly. get used to and and more.
Swisher seems to get a pass, he is slumping. If he continues, I would sit him and play Dickerson.
If the market dries up and the yankees run out of players to overpay, I don’t really see that as a bad thing. Just means more prospects will get a chance and it’s that much more important they are developed the right way… and to the needs of the franchise.
“Huh? Alex’s contract runs through 2017. We won’t be moving on from him for quite some time.”
he’s trending downward and is not an elite bat anymore.
the contract was a mistake and there;s no sense making like it wasn’t.
cano is a batter hitter now and will be over the next few years.
hitting five on the yankees isn’t a horrible thing.
the yankees are in transition. they might as well get the transitions moving.
alex isn’t trending anywhere, he’s been recovering from major surgery for 2 years and still performing at a near-elite level.
Just means more prospects will get a chance and it’s that much more important they are developed the right way… and to the needs of the franchise.
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They should be doing this now. With the cost of free agents rising, teams are no longer taking chances and riding players out to free agency. They are either locking them up long term, such that when they reach FA they are at a less desirable place, or trading them. The Yankees lack advantage in trade situations because you need to match the needs of the other club and they can’t wave their checkbook around. They need to be letting their pitchers develop and keep position players with hot bats.
“Alex can still be the best hitter in this lineup.”
for what a week or a month? i don’t see it for a whole year.
cano plays 160 games a year. alex is a 130 games a year guy now. and he’s always getting dinged up with one thing or another. move him to five.
Long term isn’t that what they are doing right now? Not blowing it up or disrupting their prize pieces to fix the short term needs of the 2011 season?
A DH could be signed/traded for tomorrow. It’s a very small specific need, and there are plenty of guys out there that can just hit. Roster spots like extra relievers, disappear quick when it gets to crunch time. How long do you think Posada would sit on the bench and not retire if they went and got someone tomorrow? They don’t want to do that to him, so they are giving him the chance to work it out.
The only reason it’s such a big deal is because the rest of the team is not hitting.
cano plays 160 games a year. alex is a 130 games a year guy now. and he’s always getting dinged up with one thing or another. move him to five.
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Cano can hit 4 when A-rod is out.
“Cano can hit 4 when A-rod is out.”
why not third and bump teixeira to four?
you are right though that when alex is out cano will move in to replace him.
i’m just saying be decisive and do it all the time.
i think jeter,posada, and alex have to be moved around in the line up, and use differently than in the past.
once it’s done to these guys , it sends a message to the whole team that every player has to produce or else they get moved.