Jayson Nix’s strained left hip flexor has progressed to the point that he is healthy enough to be part of the Yankees’ 25-man roster.
Nix hasn’t played since Sept. 27. Two days later, manager Joe Girardi said he believed it would be 10 to 14 days before Nix was ready to play. The ALDS roster doesn’t have to be announced until tomorrow morning.
After running the bases last night, Nix said he felt good.
Having Nix, a valuable backup infielder who can play second, short, third and left field in a pinch, enables the Yankees to carry 14 position players and 11 pitchers.
“I don’t anticipate saying a lot [yesterday] or [today],’’ Girardi said when asked about the roster and starting rotation. “There are difficult decisions.’’
If the Yankees hold to 11 pitchers — and rain could alter that — Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman will have to decide between right-handed relievers Derek Lowe and Cody Eppley, with an outside chance David Phelps or Joba Chamberlain are left off for the first round.
Lowe, Eppley and Phelps were at the Stadium for yesterday’s workout.
It doesn’t appear outfielder Andruw Jones will be on the roster with Ichiro Suzuki playing every day, Brett Gardner healthy enough to swing a bat and Jones’ poor second half making him expendable.
Jones participated in the workout.
* Girardi admitted what everybody already knew from the first day of spring training: CC Sabathia will start Game 1 of the ALDS.
“I will give you that,’’ Girardi said.
* Robinson Cano has moved on concerning Dan Tordjman, the Charlotte, N.C., television reporter who reported on Sept. 21 Cano was about to be suspended by MLB for using performance enhancing drugs.
Thursday, Tordjman and his station, WSOC, apologized and WSOC donated $10,000 to Cano’s foundation.
“These days, people can say anything they want about you,’’ Cano said. “If I say that as a player I can get sued. It didn’t bother me and it didn’t get me out of my game. I know the situation, I know that I am good. People can say what they want.’’
* Because he has played in just three games after missing 30 of 31 with a strained left calf, Mark Teixeira was one of three Yankees to take at-bats yesterday in simulated action against pitchers David Aardsma and Adam Warren. Gardner (elbow) and Nix did as well.
Teixeira went 1-for-12 in his three games against Boston, with the one hit a homer off Alfredo Aceves. Teixeira revealed yesterday the Red Sox righty offered him seven consecutive changeups in the at-bat, saying, “I think that was probably a gift for me there.”
* Boone Logan has pitched in a career-high 80 games, but he insists his left arm is fine.
“I feel great,” the left-handed reliever said. “The last month, my arm has felt really good. Every year my arm feels good this time of year. I don’t know why. I feel better now than I have the majority of the rest of the year.”
He was quick to point out, despite his high number of appearances, he’s only pitched 55 1/3 innings.
“It really hasn’t been that much,” Logan said. “No matter how much you throw, you’re going to have some fatigue, but there’s no reason I can’t keep pitching at this level.”