Pregame notes: Robertson nearing return (to the eighth inning)
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes on Jun 05, 2012 
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Dave Robertson is back at Yankee Stadium, but he’s still probably a week and a half away from being back on the active roster. When he does return, he’ll probably fall back into a setup role behind Yankees new closer Rafael Soriano.
“We’re probably going to put Robby in some situations in the eighth inning when he comes back, and then we’ll just go from there,” Joe Girardi said. “Soriano has done a very good job, whatever we’ve asked him to do. We feel that they’re interchangeable. Sori has the experience down there. Let’s just get Robby back and see how he’s throwing the baseball, but I expect that we’ll try to insert him into the eighth inning to start out. I would love to be able to do that, eighth inning and a lead.”
Robertson threw a 35-pitch bullpen at the Stadium this afternoon. He hopes to face hitters on Thursday, and if that goes well, he’ll start a rehab assignment. There’s no official timetable for his return, but late next week seems to make sense.
“I’ve cut it loose,” Robertson said. “Now it’s about being sharp again, and getting game ready. … I was really hoping I was going to be back in Detroit. I wasn’t ready. If everything goes well, (be back in) eight or nine days, hopefully.”
Does Robertson care whether he returns to the eighth or the ninth inning?
“As long as we win games, I don’t really care,” Robertson said. “(Soriano)’s good! What do you want me to say about it? He’s got a lot of saves under his belt. He knows how to pitch. I didn’t ever think about it as me being the closer. I still thought it was going to be the same thing — whenever the opportunity arises, you go for it.”
• Brett Gardner got five at-bats today in extended spring training. He’ll take batting practice tomorrow, then play in another game on Thursday. Girardi said it’s still possible that Gardner will be activated this weekend, but it sounds like early next week might be more likely. “We’re not going to play him tomorrow, then we’ll probably play him a few days in a row,” Girardi said. “Just have to see how he does. It’s possible (to get him back this weekend), but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
• Robinson Cano has decided to participate in the Home Run Derby again this year, and he’ll serve as the American League team captain after winning the thing last year. “I would like to take Granderson, but I don’t know if he wants to do it,” Cano said. “I haven’t talked to him yet. Besides that, I haven’t thought of anybody yet. But I might in the next few days.”
• Cano said he fully intends to have his father pitch to him again this year. “Oh yeah, definitely,” Cano said. “Never change your pitcher.”
• Girardi said he still hasn’t talked to anyone in the league about this weekend’s incident with umpire Bob Davidson. Girardi’s gotten his letter announcing his fine, but that’s it.
• Yankees first-round pick Ty Hensley did a conference call this afternoon and came across as a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. “Yesterday, when I got the call and found out I was going to be a Yankee, I was so fired up and so excited that I got to go to such a great organization,” Hensley said. “Being able to have an opportunity to play in pinstripes one day with a team with so much history. If I could have picked any team to go to, it definitely would have been the Yankees.”
• Hensley left little doubt that he plans to sign. “I’m probably going to sign out of high school,” he said. “My goal is definitely to be there by the time I’m 21 years old, which would have been my junior year in college. I think it’s realistic. I know I have a long ways to go, but I’m definitely not going to stop working until I get there and after that.”
• Hideki Matsui was shaking hands and saying a series of hellos during batting practice. He’s in right field for the Rays today. “We obviously know what he’s capable of doing and how he can carry a club,” Girardi said. “We’ve seen him do that here. In the few at-bats he’s got, you see he’s already got two home runs. You see he’s in there against the lefty, and you hear a lot about Hideki Matsui and lefties. He’s a great player. He’s a great teammate. I loved having the opportunity to manage him, I just don’t want to see him do much these three days.”
Associated Press photos
Matsui
Their pen will be fine. Their rotation is good enough. I still think the offense is vulnerable.
Really interesting stuff about Votto. He is one of the most underrated players in the league. Maybe it’s because he plays for Cincy, I don’t know. But he is a bona fide superstar & he hardly ever gets talked about. That infield pop up stat is unreal.
DRob on the mend! I’ll say hi to Matsui for you JF. Go Andy! Go Yanks!
I just read in the Miami paper that draftee, Peter O’brien, is still having wrist pain and limitations after a wrist fracture. He needs to start playing as a senior draftee. That’s not great.
Yankees sign Ricky Orta to minor league deal
By Mike Axisa.
Via Matt Eddy, the Yankees have signed right-hander Ricky Orta to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old was the Mariners’ fourth round pick in 2006 but missed all of 2010 and most of 2011 due to Tommy John surgery. He signed a minor league deal with the Rays last season and only managed four appearances (eight innings) before the end of the season.
Orta isn’t a starter long-term but he’s an interesting relief prospect. He runs his fastball up to the mid-90s and has a decent breaking ball, enough for middle relief work. The Yankees could send him to either High-A Tampa or Double-A Trenton and get about 40 innings to evaluate him this summer. If they like what they see, they could retain him going forward and have a potentially useful arm. Orta’s never pitched above Double-A, so he has all three minor league options left. It’s an interesting move, certainly more interesting than the typical minor league signings.
Yankees sign Ricky Orta to minor league deal
Those are amazing stats about Vottto. Three IF pop ups in over 2100 plate appearances. One pulled foul ball into the stands. I’m using purely personal recall to believe Teixiera just may have a few more of each. What do you think?
I see more sense in the crazy contract.
among all the Yankee batters, Jeter is the only All Star this year, only one.
What inning Robertson pitches doesn’t matter so much….just getting him back will be awesome.
Votto is a beast….his contract will be better than Albert’s or Fielder’s.
Hope the Yanks set the tone for the series tonight…..
SF Giants took a catcher. They must not think much about Posey’s ability to be a catcher in the long term.
Tex has 191 career IF pop ups
Anderson Feliz gets promoted to Tampa Yanks.
Nats have promoted Christian garcia to AAA
Kelvin Castro, the Tampa Yanks 2nd baseman demoted to Staten Island
The Hensley pick looks good so far…
Sounds like Joe has the same feelings as many of us – happy to see Hideki, but…
I love the guy but will not root for him this series!
10th pick is 1st baseman Matt Snyder. Brother is Brandon Snyder, 2nd baseman of Orioles. His dad pitched a little for Seattle and Oakland.
So 3 days full of seeing different shifts. How really hope Maddon’s madness backfires more than a few times in this series.
Ugh. That’s right. The shifts – which I blame for getting this offense off it’s center.
I hope the Yankees hit a lot of balls that Madden cant shift for…..like over the fence
Robbie did the HR drill today. He usually goes yard on days that he does the drill.
He should do the drill everyday.
blake June 5th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
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Smart thinking. I like that.
Gotta like the Hensley comments. The Yanks do clearly care about makeup, so I guess this is to be expected.
Let’s hope he shows a bit more than a couple of our other young big guys..
Rodriguez and the Gang have a wind blowing out at 11 MPH from right to left. Tank advantage of it.
***Take*** advantage of it
I really hope it works out for Christian Garcia….kid has a special arm and a God-given ability to throw a baseball. Here’s hoping he gets a good 7-8 year run of un-interupted good health and is able to carve out a nice career in the show.
Happy for Feliz as he should get to play everyday in Tampa. He was off to a great start to his season and could really shine with 400 more abs…
Rough decisions to watch/listen to on minor league games. DJ Mitchell for Scranton, Brett Marshall for Trenton or the Charleston bats?