Alan Horne, Jeff Marquez and Chase Wright were dispatched to the Minor League camp after today’s game. Two of them could be back in the Bronx this year; Chase Wright should join Sean Henn somewhere else.
The Perfect Game, rematch Just another ST game
The Yanks face the Twins today in a rematch of last week’s rain-shortened perfect game. Phil goes again with Kei Igawa to follow him. The game isn’t on TV, but you can watch it on MLB.tv or follow the game on MLB Gameday.
In other Yankee news, Francisco Cervelli will be out for eight to 10 weeks following yesterday’s collision. The Yanks will retaliate when they face off against the Rays later this spring. I understand the desire to win, but collisions and dirty plays during Spring Training are simply unnecessary.
The Yanks, losers of four in a row, could use a good game today from the back-end of their bullpen.
Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Matsui LF
Duncan 1B
Ensberg 3B
Lane LF
Molina C
Woodward SS
Tabata RF
Pitching
Hughes
Igawa
Horne
Marquez
Cervelli out indefinitely with broken wrist
As if getting hit in the wrist by David Price wasn’t bad enough, Frankie Cervelli had his wrist broken on a collision at the plate with Elliot Johnson during today’s game. Slated to start the year with Double-A Trenton, Cervelli will be out for an undetermined length of time. “I think it’s uncalled for in spring training. You get people hurt and that’s what we got, we got Cervelli hurt,” said Joe Girardi. I can’t agree more–there’s no place for a play like that at this time of year, and I’m fairly certain there will be some retribution at some point. The two teams meet again on Wednesday, and the Rays visit the Bronx for a weekend series starting April 4th. Watch out.
(Hat tip to barry for the link.)
Top prospects visit Legends Field
The Yanks are taking on the Rays this afternoon, and both Evan Longoria and David Price made the trip for Tampa. You can catch the action on YES. Lineups courtesy of PeteAbe:
Yanks
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
A-Rod DH (Posada to follow)
The Big G 1B
Cano 2B
Cody Ransom 3B
Molina C
Melky CF
Moose, Karstens, Farnsworth, Albaladejo, Ohlendorf on the mound.
Rays
Iwamura 2B
Crawford LF
Pena 1B
Bossman Jr CF
Floyd DH
Gomes RF
Longoria 3B
Riggans C
Bartlett SS
Garza, Dohmann, Anderson, Birkins, Munter, Price on the bump. Comment here on the action.
FYI: Patrick is looking for a few more Yankee bloggers for the YanksBlog.com Fantasy League. If you run a Yankee-focused blog and are interested in joining the league (I’m in it), head over there and sign up.
Bullet points
Some random stuff I discovered whilst surfing the web:
- While all standard sample size warnings apply, LaTroy Hawkins has recorded each of his outs this spring via the groundball. Considering his whole shtick coming in was that he transformed himself into a sinkerball pitcher last year, this is nothing but encouraging.
- Former Marlins’ first rounder Jeff Allison is back in camp with the team after 15 months of sobriety. I was hoping Allison would fall to the Yanks at the 27th overall pick in the 2003 draft, but alas, they ended up with Eric Duncan after the Fish made the high school southpaw the 16th overall pick. Allison’s story is a bit more self-destructive than Josh Hamilton’s, but if Hammy can come back, maybe Allison can too.
- Which pitching line is the ugliest: Josh Wymer’s, Craig Chaput’s or Kevin Nabors’? I say Nabors’.
- The more I think about Pedro Alvarez’s injury, the more I realize there’s almost no chance he falls all the way to the Yanks at #28. Mark Teixeira broke his ankle his draft year and not only went fifth overall anyway, he also received a deal worth $9.5 million. Alvarez isn’t in Tex’s class, but there are some out there that think he is. Something crazy could happen.
- There’s still a big chunk of Spring Training left, but I can totally see Scott Patterson making the team. Girardi’s been using him in a fireman role – bringing him in the middle of an inning to work out of a jam – and he’s been perfect so far. Brian Bruney may have lost some weight and grown out his hair, but he’s still craptastically ineffective. Patterson’s making the most of his opportunity; Bruney isn’t. Simple as that.
- Here’s your top two prospects for the 2009 draft. Gibson’s video doesn’t do him justice; he’ll be the best pitching prospect to come out of the draft since Prior.
- Eric Erickson is now 3-0, 2.75 ERA, 0.81 WHIP with a 23-2 K/BB ratio in 19.2 IP with Miami this year. The Yanks drafted Erickson out of high school in the 43rd round of the 2006 draft, but didn’t sign him. He’s the lefthander the system is sorely lacking. Ho hum.
- More from the “What Could Have Been” files: Rick Porcello is having himself a damn good spring considering he’s a 19-year-old in big league camp. 9-1 GB/FB ratio so far. Wow.
- Torre’s been getting a mixed bag from some of his personal favorites so far. At least Joe’s third base decision just got a whole lot easier.
- Last but certainly not least: I know steroids are bad and everything, but weren’t the games more fun to watch when the players could do this? I’d say so.
“I hope it has his eyes.”
A-Rod, everyone sore
A-Rod will DH and refrain from throwing for a few days as he deals with a sore shoulder. Three weeks into Spring Training is exactly when players start complaining about the minor aches and pains of getting back into playing shape. Posada’s feeling it too. Nothing to worry about here.