Rafael Soriano played catch with pitching coach Larry Rothschild in the Yankee Stadium outfield yesterday afternoon and told the Yankees that apart from the normal soreness a pitcher feels after back-to-back outings, he felt good.
However, don’t look for Soriano in the bullpen today against the Mariners.
“It’s possible, but probably not,” manager Joe Girardi said before last night’s 4-1 victory over the Mariners. “He has thrown two days in a row [Sunday and Monday] and we want to make sure when we do bring him back he is recovered.”
Girardi seemed to suggest Soriano is a few days away from reclaiming a big-league roster spot.
“Our plan is to activate him soon,” Girardi said.
After the game, Girardi said, “We will talk [today] and make a decision about him or not.”
Soriano made four minor league rehab appearances, and has not faced big league hitters since May 13. He went on the disabled list shortly after with an inflamed right elbow.
Because he was given a three-year deal for $35 million to be Mariano Rivera’s setup man, Soriano’s role when he is activated is a popular topic. Does Girardi return Soriano to the eighth-inning job he did not handle well before being hurt — and which David Robertson has starred in since Joba Chamberlain and Soriano went down?
“Let’s get him back and we will make the decision as the game goes on,” Girardi said. “We need him to be pitching well. That’s the bottom line.
Robertson, a first-time All-Star this season, said he is not concerned about Soriano taking his eighth-inning gig.
“I see more help for our team,” said Robertson, who worked out of bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth by giving up a run. “He will help us win more ballgames. That’s all that matters. I could care less. I will pitch when they tell me.”
In order for Soriano to help the Yankees across the final two months he needs to pitch more effectively than he did before going on the DL. In 16 games, he worked 15 innings, gave up 15 hits, 11 walks and hit a batter. His ERA was 5.40 and his aloof personality did not go unnoticed, taken by some as an unwillingness to be a Yankee.
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The Yankees’ attitude toward upgrading the rotation might change if Phil Hughes
gets roughed up today by the hitting-challenged Mariners.
Hughes is making his fourth start since coming off the DL and two of them have been poor.
On Friday night, he could not get through the fifth in a game the Yankees won 17-7. Facing the soft A’s lineup, Hughes gave up seven runs, nine hits, walked four and hit a batter in 4 2/3 innings.
If Hughes struggles, the Yankees could increase their efforts to land a starter before Sunday’s trade deadline.
Or, citing the thin starting pitching market, they could keep Ivan Nova
in the majors. Nova is expected to start one of the two games against the Orioles in Saturday’s doubleheader at the Stadium.
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CC Sabathia
(14), Robertson (2) and Mariano Rivera
(2) combined for 18 strikeouts. That ties a team record for a nine-inning game set by Ron Guidry
on June 17, 1978, against the Angels.
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Derek Jeter
entered last night’s action with seven hits in his past 15 at-bats (.467), but went 0-for-4.
He was in the second spot in the order against Mariners right-hander Doug Fister
with Brett Gardner batting leadoff.
“We like what [Gardner] Gardy has been doing,” Girardi said. “He creates a lot of problems at the top of the lineup.”
In Gardner’s last four games hitting leadoff, he is 3-for-17 (.176) with two runs scored after going 1-for-4 last night. In his last seven games hitting elsewhere, Gardner is 13-for-25 (.520) with five runs.
Since returning from the DL on July 4, Jeter is batting .307 (23-for-75). He batted .260 (68-for-262) before going on the shelf.
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Yankees sent third baseman Brandon Laird
to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Eric Chavez
. Laird appeared in four games and went 1-for-6, his first major league hit.
