Pregame notes: Rodriguez on track to return next week
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Aug 09, 2011 
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The tarp just came off the field and it looks like there’s at least a chance of starting tonight’s game on time. I thought there was no chance just a few hours ago, but Joe Girardi said he’s been hearing that the game will probably be played.
On to big picture news.
Alex Rodriguez ran the bases today. He did his usual batting practice and fielding drills, but it’s the running that’s most significant. Girardi said Rodriguez is still on track to begin a rehab assignment this weekend — either Friday or Saturday, Girardi said — and it’s a good bet that he’ll be with the Yankees next week on the road.
“I don’t know if Monday is realistic,” Girardi said. “Part of it probably depends on where he starts and how he feels in those next couple of games. But I think next week is realistic.”
Girardi said he’s not sure how many rehab games Rodriguez will need.
“I guess theoretically it could be one, but you can’t really say,” Girardi said. “You don’t know how he’s going to feel and you don’t know if he’s going to have his timing. You don’t know if he’s going to feel stable on his knee running the bases. You can’t just throw a random number out there. When he’s ready, we’ll have him back, I can tell you that.”
• Phil Hughes starts Saturday. Freddy Garcia starts Sunday. For now, the Yankees are sticking with a six-man rotation. “I don’t know how much longer we’ll stick with that,” Girardi said. “Obviously we’ve got the split doubleheader in Baltimore and we have to be prepared for that too.”
• Could either Hughes or Garcia be available out of the bullpen? “We’d probably stay away from them,” Girardi said. “If we had to, yes, but our bullpen is in pretty good shape.”
• Sergio Mitre is going for a second opinion after being diagnoses with a pinch nerve in his shoulder. An MRI showed no structural damage, but a nerve problem is causing Mitre to lose considerable arm strength (fastball velocity suddenly dropped by about 6 mph, he said). The second opinion is determine whether surgery is necessary, but Mitre is going into it believing he has ”90 percent” chance of surgery. How long he’s out depends entirely on how quickly the nerve recovers.
• According to the latest AP update from Tampa, Pedro Feliciano threw 42 pitches in the bullpen today and is scheduled for live batting practice on Friday. Even so, Girardi said Feliciano is still a longshot to pitch for the Yankees this season.
• Other Tampa updates via the AP: Ramiro Pena started swinging a bat… Damaso Marte threw a 32-pitch bullpen… Mark Prior pitched in another rookie league game.
• Once again out of the Yankees lineup, Jorge Posada seemed just as frustrated today as he was after he and Girardi had their conversation on Sunday. Posada spoke only briefly. “You wouldn’t expect any player to be necessarily happy if he’s taken from a role,” Girardi said. “I was a full-time catcher and reduced to less catching. I didn’t like it. I just kept working at it and trying to get better. As a player, that’s really the only thing you can do – be prepared and when you get your chance, perform and do the best you can.”
• Russell Martin’s mustache is no longer the worst Yankees look of the year. A.J. Burnett has gone with totally blonde hair. It’s… a curious decision. Martin literally offered a no comment on the situation, but he did laugh a little when I brought it up.
ANGELS
Erick Aybar SS
Howie Kendrick 2B
Bobby Abreu DH
Torii Hunter RF
Mark Trumbo 1B
Vernon Wells LF
Maicer Izturis 3B
Peter Bourjos CF
Jeff Mathis C
Associated Press photos
It’s gonna be good to have A-Rod back.
Really good.
He’ll be on a mission to hit 30/100. If healthy, I wouldn’t bet against him.
108,
Maybe not…..but they did eat Igawa’s entire contract. I think you have to look at it not as eating salary…..but as saving money. If you can insert someone making the league minimum into his spot then whatever money the aquiring team picks up you save. If they ate 20 million bucks on him then they still save 13 million that they coukd use elsewhere.
Let’s say they bring back Garcia…..they’d have Sabathia, Hughes, Nova, and Garcia……then Betances, Noesi, Warren, Phelps + outside options to fill AJs spot. I think one of those guys coukd perform as good or.better than AJ and they’d actually have a chance to get better. JMO
I’m taking in 6 of the 7 road games that the Yankees have next week so it would be nice to see Alex a couple of those games at least.
Look for AJ to pitch to score again tonight. Team gets 2 he will give up 3 – Team gives him 10 he will give up 11. Still hasn’t gotten a win in Aug in a Yankee Uniform. Unbelievable.
Go Arod!
UnKnown August 9th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
I’m taking in 6 of the 7 road games that the Yankees have next week so it would be nice to see Alex a couple of those games at least.
Look for AJ to pitch to score again tonight. Team gets 2 he will give up 3 – Team gives him 10 he will give up 11. Still hasn’t gotten a win in Aug in a Yankee Uniform. Unbelievable.
_____
Hoping for Lohud Reverse Jinx….
A-Rod just makes our whole lineup more dangerous.
Like adding a turbocharger.
Let’s see how he does rested and 100% healthy.
Does Burnett get credit for the 0-2 and one no decision where he allowed 1 run in at least 7 innings? Or the blame? he’s had 3 bad games and three not good games. In games of 4 or more runs allowed, his record is 2-5 and 1 no decision. He’s allowed 4 games of 5 runs or more and one of those games was 5 runs with 3 unearned.
Enjoy the game folks.
GB – you know the answer to that question. The certified sub-geniuses here say nothing postive about anything. They’re too busy showing their arrogance.
On another note – I see where the military is starting to move special ops guys into higher roles in the command structure, even over the regular army types. Any opinion?
Burnett wil go out tonight ( assuming there is a game ) and throw 7 innings of 6 hit 2run ball K’ing 8 and the Yanks win 5-2 with Cano going deep for a 3run homer in the 5th
“Randy was right.
We should have gotten Livan.”
it’s scary how right i am sometimes
Hi everyone,
Hi Bojo, long time no see
champ809;
amen
MTU,
how are you?, good to see you around
Joe,
The military TRIES to think ahead. They’re looking around the world for a standing army which which present enough targets for units like the 3rd MID and 1st Armored Division. Not too many around outside of China. For the time being, anyway, this is the kind of war we have to fight if we can’t stay out of them. So having senior officers from Special Ops makes sense for now.
joe, the opinion on the SP Ops guys will be ideal, if they are placed in charge of the upper levels of those units. That’s not always been the case. Being told how to conduct an operation that I’ve been doing for 30 years, by a guy that’s never been out of the office other tan going to command college and doing inspection tours never sat well with me others. Put the best of the SP Ops people in those commands. and for God’s sake, eliminate the security leaks that the head honchos give out for photo ops. That stuff is getting people killed.
GB,
He has been better this year….no.doubt about it…..but that’s not the question….do you want him blocking younger pitchers? Do you want him keeping Noesi or Betances, or Warren from getting a shot? That’s my only thing…..he’s been a fine #4 starter this year…..but what do they do if he’s no longer one of the best 5 they have?
randy l. August 9th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
“Randy was right.
We should have gotten Livan.”
it’s scary how right i am sometimes
————————————————————————————————————————-
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Please don’t ever tell Randy that he’s right about anything. he’ll just continue to hang around
thanks for the input and answers, tomingeorgia and GB. Not to take this place off-topic (Heaven forbid!), but I was curious about your opinion, after reading the story in the NYTimes this morning.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled b*&^ch and moan session.
Burnett won’t be blocking anyone next year. There aren’t three ready to go replacements for the rotation. One of Colon or garcia will not return….and certainly nothing worthwhile on the FA market.
Any time, joe. Any off-topic subject except MUPPETS.
Blake :
I could consider an even up deal of Zambrano for Burnett if the Cubs would pay the difference of the 2 contracts that both expire after 2013. We’re talking about $2M for each year. Zambrano has said he would waive his no trade clause and he has a long history with Larry Rothschild. His anger issues seem to be in his past. Let’s call it a change of scenery deal.
Gb,
Sabathia, Hughes, Nova, Garcia……AJ would be the 5th.
Joe,
Agree with GB7 that security is essential for these missions. 10 men, or thirty, are easier to hide than an armored division. Give them a chance to get in, do the job, and get out, before anybody knows they’re there.
All that said…..id love to see AJ succeed. I like him and hope he throws a shutout tonight….
who’s in pinstripes next year, garcia or colon? my guess is colon gets a two year deal somewhere. garcia’s back as the number 5
somehow, i think it’s going to be an uncomfortable three weeks until the rosters expand. the questions with hughes and nova, posada’s role, the dh spot, third base, etc
i think we’re going to see the yankees go into a little funk here because of a lack of being decisive and making tough decisions by management and this is going to carry over to the players.
no big deal though, they should get their act together by september.
AJ said he wants to have fun pitching…I guess he believes in the ‘blondes have more fun’ adage..
blake, gb7,
CC,Colon/garcia,Hughes,Nova and AJ, i think blake has a point in not having space to break out any of the youngsters….I don’t mind keeping AJ on the rotation, but don’t you think that he has to earn it first??
“Any off-topic subject except MUPPETS.”
Somewhere a Muppet signal went off and hissing is occuring.
Hi Luis–good to see you. Hope there is a game tonight.
pat August 9th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
“Any off-topic subject except MUPPETS.”
Somewhere a Muppet signal went off and hissing is occuring.
————————————————————————————————————————-
I feel the voodoo pins sticking all over and tought that I heard an angry snake.
Still wondering how AJ got the shiner last season…?
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Please don’t ever tell Randy that he’s right about anything. he’ll just continue to hang around”
too late. i’ve signed on for another year
kd August 9th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
who’s in pinstripes next year, garcia or colon? my guess is colon gets a two year deal somewhere. garcia’s back as the number 5
___
Why not bring both back? They have been great and deserve another contract.
Blake
“do you want him blocking younger pitchers?”
____
That is the only reason I would move him in ST next year (after they resolve who is re-signed).
I can see CC, Colon, Hughes, Nova, and Garcia with Noesi, and perhaps Joba as competitoin for 5 slots. Add Mitchell and others in case of injuries.
The move would also save money if the Yankees were able to get someone to take some of his contract and they replaced him with a younger, cheaper starter.
That had a nice sound off of the bat.
The only thing to keep D-rob from becoming a top closer is his walks.
He would have a few more K’s if not for the walks ! Amazing !!!