YANKEE NOTES
With his injury-ravaged lineup slumping, Joe Torre said that once Derek Jeter’s leg fully heals, he may move Jeter to leadoff and slide Alfonso Soriano into the middle of the order.
“We talked about that last year,” Torre said. “[Soriano] can probably hit anywhere. I don’t think I’d do that until I know Jeter’s leg is OK. I don’t want him trying to steal second and third right now. But we’ll play with it.
“I’ve been fiddling every day. Without Bernie [Williams], you have a big hole to fill in the middle.”
The switch would be no problem for Jeter, who’s been shuffled before.
“I’ve been everywhere but fifth, I think,” he said. “It doesn’t make a difference to me.”
Jeter, who sat out Friday night’s game with a tight left hamstring, was back in the lineup yesterday and went 1-4 with a triple.
* After cracking just three homers in his first 49 games, Hideki Matsui admitted he’s a little discouraged.
“I may be a little frustrated not being able to hit home runs as I wish,” Matsui said, “but I guess I just have to take it slowly and game-by-game, absorb as much as I can and fully get used to it.”
For his part, Torre said he believes it’s still too early to evaluate Matsui’s slugging prowess. But he did say he believes Matsui’s swing is tailored more for line drives than home runs.
“He doesn’t have the prototypical power swing. He’s going to hit 20-25. He’s not going to hit 35-40,” Torre said. “If he does, that’ll be a real surprise for me. Just from his swing. It’s not a negative, not a criticism. He has a line-drive swing.”
* Williams will fly to Birmingham, Ala. tomorrow to meet with Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on whether his left knee requires surgery. Williams was examined by team doctor Stuart Hershon on Thursday and was diagnosed with a sprain and a tear of the medial meniscus.
* Asked whether he had spoken to George Steinbrenner lately, Torre said, “I talked to George the other day in regards to Bernie, just about what we were going to do.” . . . Torre on the Yankees’ recent troubles at home: “I don’t think it means anything. We love playing here. We’re just not playing well. I think it’s just coincidence.”
