TAMPA — Twins leadoff hitter Denard Span hit a foul ball to the left of the Twins’ dugout that struck his mother, Wanda Wilson, in the chest during the first inning. Wilson was examined by paramedics and stayed at the ballpark.
“It had to be very scary for him running over there,” Joe Girardi said.
Phil Hughes, who faced Span to start the game, knew the ball didn’t collide with Wilson’s face, but that didn’t reduce the scariness.
“That was really scary,” Hughes said. “I saw it out of the corner of my eye that it wasn’t around the head.”
Mark Teixeira believes he can return from a bruised right elbow a day earlier than expected.
“Things are getting better,” Teixeira said yesterday before testing the hinge with swings off a batting tee. “I will try to play [today].”
Teixeira, who was hit by Jeremy Guthrie on Monday night in Sarasota, will wear a protective guard on the elbow for a few days. Originally, the Yankees and Teixeira thought Friday was a reasonable return date.
“[Trainer] Steve Donohue wants me to wear it,” Teixeira said. “I don’t like to, but it’s for precautionary reasons and just for a few days until the soreness is gone.”
In other injury news, Alfredo Aceves anticipates throwing an inning tomorrow and says if that goes well he will be ready to start the season Sunday.
“I will throw today on the mound to see how it feels,” said Aceves, who was scratched from a relief outing Tuesday due to a disc problem in the lower back. “If I feel good I will throw one inning Friday.”
Aceves said he felt good after a 20-pitch bullpen session.
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The Yankees held their breath for a few moments in the second inning of yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Twins when Alex Rodriguez fouled a ball of his left foot and went down. When Rodriguez grounded out, there was a chance he would leave the game. But he stayed in and homered in the fourth.
“I told him not to forget the shin guard,” Girardi said of the protective gear, but Rodriguez elected not to wear the device on his left leg.
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Girardi is going to make official today what the Post’s Joel Sherman reported last week: Curtis Granderson is the starting center fielder.
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Back up catcher Francisco Cervelli went for an MRI exam on the left hamstring yesterday after complaining of a “pinch” in the leg Tuesday against the Braves.
“Our plan is to play him Saturday,” Girardi said. “Now if the MRI tells us something different than what he is feeling — he feels pretty good — then you might have to make a decision.”
If Cervelli isn’t ready to play by Opening Day, the Yankees likely would turn to Mike Rivera. However, he hasn’t played since March 20 due to a right hamstring problem.
Cervelli, who missed time this spring with a concussion, will be limited to non-game activities today.
“Our concern is running the bases,” Girardi said. “His strength is great and there is no swelling. We are just being safe.”
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Joba Chamberlain pitched a scoreless inning and might be used today.
“He threw a lot of strikes and his slider is better,” Girardi said of Chamberlain, whose fastball was clocked from 89 to 91 mph. “We will continue to pitch him. It’s possible he could go back-to-back [today]. So is [David] Robertson.”
Robertson gave up a run and two hits in an inning yesterday.