PHOENIX — Mark Teixeira is not a regular participant when the Yankees hold early batting practice. He works in the cages, but rarely ventures onto the field for an exercise that is often for bench players attempting to stay sharp.
However, the slumping switch hitter took some cuts against coach Tony Pena on Monday afternoon at Chase Field with the intention of finding something to work with from the left side.
“I am trying to find my left-handed swing,’’ Teixeira said before the Yankees’ 12-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. “I have gotten into bad habits from the left side. Right-handed I feel good.’’
Teixeira is hitting .160 (12-for-75) with three homers and nine RBIs from the left side, where he has whiffed 27 times. From the right side — after going 3-for-4 against Arizona lefties Robbie Ray and Andrew Chafin — Teixeira is hitting .306 (15-for-49) with two RBIs and just eight strikeouts.
“Everything,’’ Teixeira said when asked about the bad habits he has developed. “When you are hitting as bad as I am left-handed, it’s just trying to get back to neutral.’’
So, Teixeira added hitting on the field to the day-to-day cage work.
“I don’t have the energy to hit for five hours before a game,’’ the 36-year-old first baseman said. “Last year my swing locked in, and it stayed locked in all season.’’
On the recently completed 10-game homestand, the Yankees went 7-3 despite Teixeira hitting .129 (4-for-31). Teixeira is batting .218 overall.
Alex Rodriguez ran and hit Monday and Girardi was confident he will get the DH back from the disabled list Thursday, when the Yankees open a four-game series against the A’s in Oakland.
“Hopefully he will be ready to go,’’ Girardi said of Rodriguez, who last played on May 3 in Baltimore, where he left the game with a strained right hamstring.
Since the DH won’t be used in the three interleague games at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks, Rodriguez would have been a bench player if active.
CC Sabathia and Girardi plan on the lefty coming off the DL and starting against the A’s on Friday night.
“As of right now the plan is Friday,’’ Girardi said of Sabathia, who suffered a strained left groin on May 4, when he threw seven shutout innings in a 1-0 loss to the Orioles in Baltimore.
Michael Pineda will start Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks looking to turn around a 1-4 start that includes an obese 6.28 ERA in seven starts. Improving in the first inning would help the right-hander, as would pitching with two outs.
“I am sure it could, it shouldn’t’’ Girardi said of the first-inning troubles working into Pineda’s head. “It’s not something that has always been the case for him. For me it’s making a few more pitches.’’
Pineda has given up 12 earned runs in seven first innings for a 15.43 ERA. He has allowed 19 hits, five of which were homers. With two outs overall, opposing batters are hitting .463 (31-for-67).
With the left-hander Ray starting for the Diamondbacks, Girardi didn’t start Brian McCann and Brett Gardner. Austin Romine (0-for-3) caught and Aaron Hicks (1-for-4) played left field.
Chase Headley (1-for-4, RBI) doesn’t see players celebrating accomplishments on the field ending in the wake of the Rangers’ Rougned Odor punching the Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista Sunday. Bautista produced the most talked about bat flip ever in last year’s postseason when he homered against the Rangers. Sunday, Bautista, who went hard into second base trying to break up a double play, was hit with a pitch in the final scheduled game this season between the clubs.
“I don’t see the issue going away,’’ Headley said. “The celebrations have gotten a lot more elaborate.’’
Headley isn’t bothered if a pitcher pumps a fist after a big out as long as he is looking in his dugout and not glaring at the opposing team.
“It’s an emotion-filled game. I have no issue celebrating as long as it is directed toward his team,’’ Headley said.
