YANKEE NOTES
TAMPA – Because the Pirates refused to grant the Yankees permission to use the designated hitter during tomorrow’s spring training game, Jason Giambi’s return from a lingering left calf cramp will be delayed.
Yesterday morning Giambi believed he would DH tomorrow against the Pirates in Bradenton. However, since it’s an NL park, the Pirates have control over the DH. When they rejected the Yankees’ request, Giambi’s return was put off to Tuesday against the Cardinals at Legends Field.
Giambi hasn’t played since last Monday when he left a game after two innings in the field and one at-bat. He took batting practice on the field yesterday.
“The hardest thing for me will be getting out of the [batter’s] box because it’s my back foot,” Giambi said. “I would rather DH than tire it out defensively for five innings [at first].”
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Mariano Rivera‘s third outing of the spring lasted eight pitches. Considering he has thrown a total of 34 pitches in three stints, you could make a case Rivera isn’t getting enough work.
“You want to throw more and work more but you can get [pitches] in the pen,” said Rivera, who threw five in his first and 20 in his second. “Right now I can’t ask for it but later on I can.”
The plan for Rivera never changes. In the last week of camp he will throw in back-to-back games and then toss two innings.
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Jorge Posada homered and drove in three runs as the Yankees beat the Braves, 7-3, at Legends Field. The Yankees are 6-5 . . . Bubba Crosby replaced Gary Sheffield in right field. It was Crosby’s first game action since bruising the left index finger in a bunting drill a week ago today.
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Phil Hughes, the best looking pitching prospect the Yankees have had since Andy Pettitte, was one of five players assigned to the minor league camp yesterday.
Hughes, a first-round pick in 2004 who will be 20 in June, impressed in his first big league camp. In two games (31/3 innings), Hughes was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA. His most impressive outing was an intrasquad game after which Posada said it wasn’t out of the question that Hughes could reach Yankee Stadium this season. He is slated to open at Double-A Trenton.
Also sent out were catcher Jason Brown, outfielder Chris Prieto, infielder Danny Garcia and pitcher Darrell Rosner.
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Yankees first base coach Tony Pena watched Tony Pena, Jr. start at short for the Braves yesterday. It was the first time father and son were part of the same game.
“When you see your kid doing what he is doing, it makes you proud,” Pena said.
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GM Brian Cashman returned to camp Friday after spending two days at the Yankees’ complex in the Dominican Republic. The Yankees hope to have the complex finished by June.
