TAMPA — Joe Girardi put his actions behind his mouth yesterday regarding the Yankees’ fifth-starter drama.
The manager had said Saturday he hasn’t decided who will grab the fifth spot. Yesterday, he reaffirmed that by not pitching Phil Hughes in a simulated game indoors after a tilt against the Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field was rained out.
If Girardi had decided Hughes had won the camp-long competition, it’s likely Hughes would have trucked to the batting cage for a simulated game. That he didn’t is an indication Girardi’s mind is still open.
Hughes is considered the slight favorite, and is followed by Alfredo Aceves and Sergio Mitre.
“They need to see live hitters,” Girardi said of his pitchers, in particularly Hughes, who was slated to follow A.J. Burnett yesterday.
After the game was washed out, Girardi met with the coaches to plan how to get the seven hurlers affected by the rain enough work.
“It’s a mess, kind of, because we have [seven] guys who really need to throw [today],” Girardi said.
After failing to get a team to play a “B” game this morning, the Yankees scheduled an intra-squad tilt. Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Damaso Marte are to hurl for one side, and Joba Chamberlain, Chan Ho Park and David Robertson for the other.
Burnett is slated to start in Clearwater against the Phillies and be followed by Hughes.
That should get the pitchers enough work to not interrupt tomorrow’s off day.
At the start of camp, Hughes and Chamberlain were the favorites to win the fifth spot. But a stomach virus that cost Chamberlain eight pounds and leg strength got him off to a slow start, and he is likely headed to the bullpen to set up Rivera.
Hughes’ pedestrian start, combined with Aceves pitching well, put Aceves in the lead as late as last week. However, Hughes hurled four scoreless innings against Houston on March 16 to close the gap on Aceves.
Hughes likely went by Aceves on Saturday, when the Astros spanked Aceves for five runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Hughes appears to be in the lead, because if he is anointed the winner and pitches poorly, he can be shifted to the pen and Aceves, who would be the long man, could be inserted into the rotation. If Hughes is in the pen, he will likely be a one- or two-inning arm, and to ask him to make the transition from that to starter during the season is an injury risk.
With Alex Rodriguez avoiding saying anything that resembles controversy and the feds not having asked him about his involvement with Dr. Anthony Galea, the fifth starter’s derby has received most of the attention this camp.
While Girardi acknowledges it’s an intriguing issue, he hasn’t lost sleep over it.
“Probably because of the amount of people involved and how to get them innings,” Girardi said of the time he puts into the process.
“It does take up a little bit more of our time. But if we weren’t doing that, we would be doing something else. First base, second base, short and third, you don’t have to worry about those spots.
“You go into camp knowing areas you have to target, and that’s what you do every year. We don’t look at it as just the fifth starter, we look at the staff combined. Every move that we make isn’t based on that one spot. The other 11 spots on the pitching staff come into play. So, it’s something we think a lot about, but I am able to go to sleep every night.”