Yankees call on Laird after Pena appendectomy

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With Alex Rodriguez not coming off the disabled list anytime soon, the Yankees have been monitoring what might shake free in the third-base market before the July 31 trade deadline.

Last night they got a new face who can play third, but it was Brandon Laird — who had never played a big league game.

Laird was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when utility infielder Ramiro Pena went on the DL after undergoing an emergency appendectomy yesterday morning at a Tampa hospital.

“He is a young man who started slowly and was good at Triple-A,” Joe Girardi said of Laird, who hit .266 with 10 homers and 49 RBIs in 90 games for SWB. “He is a prospect.”

The 23-year-old Laird didn’t arrive until 8:30 last night.

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Pena awoke at 6 a.m. and called the Yankees’ trainer complaining of stomach pain. It was the second appendectomy in two weeks for a Yankee player. Joba Chamberlain, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery, had his appendix removed two weeks ago in New York.

Pena’s illness came after he played very well at third base in Sunday’s 7-2 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto. He handled Corey Patterson’s leadoff bunt attempt well in the fifth, throwing on the run, and then speared Rajai Davis’ hard liner for the second out.

Pena also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

* Derek Jeter’s two-out single to left in the seventh inning moved him past Al Kaline and into sole possession of 26th on the all-time hit list with 3,008. Up next is former teammate Wade Boggs at 3,010. Jeter went 1-for-5.

Eduardo Nunez has 17 RBIs. Nine have tied the game or given the Yankees the lead. His ground-out RBI in the eighth last night tied the score, 4-4.

➤Rafael Soriano is slated to pitch tonight for Single-A Tampa. It will be Soriano’s first game action since May 13 against Boston. He has been shelved with an inflamed right elbow.

* Eric Chavez, out since May 6 with a fractured left foot, is scheduled to be the DH in the same game. Girardi says Soriano, who was supposed to be Mariano Rivera’s set-up man, will likely require a minimum of three minor league outings before being considered for the major league roster.

“I don’t have a number on it,” Girardi said. “Let’s see how he feels.”

As for Chavez, Girardi wants the left-handed corner infielder to be able to play a complete game before coming off the DL.

“He has been out for a while. He needs at-bats,” Girardi said. “The question is how far can he go in the first game. We need him to play nine innings when he gets here.”

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