The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – INSIDE PITCH
Vernon Wells’ renaissance season has continued into May, as the veteran outfielder has become one of the Yankees’ best and most consistent hitters.
Wells went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in New York’s 4-2 win over the Royals Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, helping the Yankees to a three-game sweep. He’s 9-for-25 (.360) during the team’s first six games of their eight-game road trip.
“We try to be consistent all year, just go out and have good at-bats and do your part,” Wells said. “So far, it has worked.”
Wells struggled through two subpar years with the Angels in 2011-12, but he’s hitting .295 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs in 34 games, making the Yankees’ spring training gamble to trade for the 34-year-old look like one of the wisest moves of the season.
“It’s been great; he’s been big in our wins on this road trip,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Hitters are going to go through that, and if Vernon hadn’t gone through that the last couple of years — a little bit of up and down — people probably wouldn’t be questioning him, what kind of player he is, because before that he was a really good player. And he’s showing that here.”
Wells’ role could change in the coming weeks as Curtis Granderson is getting close to a return after missing the first six weeks of the season with a fractured right forearm. But given the way Wells has performed — and the fact that he’s the lone right-handed outfielder playing on a regular basis — it’s hard to imagine he will lose too many at-bats as long as he keeps hitting.
“I learned last year that you never say it’s early, good or bad,” Wells said. “I think you like being in this situation, but at the same time, this game has a funny way of slapping you across the face at any point in time. We’ll go out and have the same mentality, to continue to get great starting pitching and score enough runs to support those guys.”
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MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 23-13
STREAK: Won five
PAST 10 GAMES: 7-3
NEXT: Doubleheader — Yankees (David Phelps, 1-1, 5.02; Vidal Nuno, 0-0, 0.00) at Indians (Justin Masterson, 3-3, 2.63; Trevor Bauer, 1-1, 2.70)
PLAYER NOTES:
–INF Eduardo Nunez (left ribcage tightness) was placed on the 15-day DL Sunday retroactive to May 6 after missing a week with a tight left ribcage. Nunez was removed from the May 5 game and had an MRI that showed only minor inflammation. 2B Alberto Gonzalez will fill his spot on the roster.
–RHP Hiroki Kuroda has six consecutive quality starts. The Yankees have won six of his last seven starts and Kuroda has walked fewer than two batters in six of those seven starts.
–2B Robinson Cano and LF Vernon Wells connected for back-to-back homers in the third inning Sunday. It was the first pair of consecutive homers for the Yankees this year and the Yankees have won the last six games in which Wells has homered.
–RHP Mariano Rivera converted his 15th consecutive save opportunity Sunday. It is his second-longest streak to begin a season; he saved his first 28 opportunities in 2008.
–LHP Vidal Nuno will make his first major league start in the second game of a doubleheader at Cleveland Monday. Nuno made his major league debut April 29, pitching three innings of scoreless relief in a 9-1 loss to Houston.
–RF Ichiro Suzuki had a rare hitless game at Kauffman Stadium Sunday. Suzuki’s career .365 average (89-for-244) is the second highest of any player in the park’s history, behind only Adrian Beltre’s .374. Suzuki is hitting .391 (43-for-110) in Kansas City since the middle of 2008, with just three hitless games out of 25 in that span.
–2B Alberto Gonzalez’s contract was selected from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He will replace INF Eduardo Nunez, who was placed on the 15-day DL Sunday retroactive to May 6.
–RHP Ivan Nova (right triceps inflammation) was lined up to start on Monday, but he felt pain in his left side while playing catch Sunday and his status is uncertain.
–RHP Joba Chamberlain (right oblique strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 28. He will make a Triple-A rehab appearance Tuesday and could be activated after that.
–1B Mark Teixeira (torn tendon sheath in his right wrist) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Sunday. He is doing baseball activities in Tampa and could return by late-May or early-June.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It’s amazing what he’s doing. He continues to do it. He locates and gets a double play in the ninth. It’s amazing what this guy’s doing in his career. He’s the best closer in history.” — Manager Joe Girardi, after RHP Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to convert his major league-leading 15th save in as many tries.
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MLB Team Report – New York Yankees – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–INF Eduardo Nunez (left ribcage tightness) was removed from the May 5 game and had an MRI that showed only minor inflammation. He didn’t play May 6-11. He was placed on the 15-day DL on May 12 retroactive to May 6 after missing a week with a tight left ribcage.
–RHP Joba Chamberlain (right oblique strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 28. He will make a Triple-A rehab appearance May 14 and could be activated after that.
–3B Kevin Youkilis (lumbar spine sprain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 28. He received an epidural injection April 30, and the Yankees are hoping he will be back when he’s eligible to return May 13.
–RHP Ivan Nova (right triceps inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list April 27. He pitched in extended spring training May 8, throwing four innings while reporting no problems. He was lined up to start on May 13, but he felt pain in his left side while playing catch on May 12 and his status is uncertain.
–1B Mark Teixeira (torn tendon sheath in his right wrist) was hurt March 5, and he went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He began taking dry swings with light fungo bat in late April and began contact-hitting drills on May 1, starting with tee-and-toss. Teixeira was due to move his rehab to Tampa in early May. On May 12, he was transferred to the 60-day DL. He is doing baseball activities in Tampa and could return by late-May or early-June.
–OF Curtis Granderson (fractured right forearm) was hurt Feb. 24 when hit by a pitch. He went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He had his brace removed April 11 and began a throwing program. He began doing contact-hitting drills in late April. He started playing in extended spring training games in Tampa on April 30, and he began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 9. He is targeting a mid-May return.
–C Francisco Cervelli (fractured right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list April 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 1. He is expected to be ready to resume baseball activity in mid-June.
–SS Derek Jeter (left ankle surgery in October 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 27. He was shut down from his rehab program in late April after a CT scan revealed a small fracture in his left ankle area. He was placed in a walking boot, and he isn’t expected to return to action until after the All-Star break.
–RHP Michael Pineda (right shoulder surgery in May 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list March 16. He continues to rehab after having a torn labrum repaired, and he is unlikely to pitch before June.
–3B Alex Rodriguez (left hip surgery in January) went on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 13. He began baseball activities May 6, and the Yankees expect to have him back after the All-Star break.
–LHP Cesar Cabral (stress fracture in left elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list March 26.
ROTATION:
LHP CC Sabathia
RHP Hiroki Kuroda
LHP Andy Pettitte
RHP Phil Hughes
LHP Vidal Nuno
BULLPEN:
RHP Mariano Rivera (closer)
RHP David Robertson
LHP Boone Logan
RHP David Phelps
RHP Adam Warren
RHP Preston Claiborne
CATCHERS:
Chris Stewart
Austin Romine
INFIELDERS:
1B Lyle Overbay
2B Robinson Cano
3B Jayson Nix
DH Travis Hafner
INF Chris Nelson
INF Alberto Gonzalez
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Vernon Wells
CF Brett Gardner
RF Ichiro Suzuki
OF Brennan Boesch
OF Ben Francisco
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