Derek Jeter won’t be back at shortstop until Tuesday at the earliest, and Yankees manager Joe Girardi put Eduardo Nunez back there yesterday despite Nunez making a costly error in the ninth inning of Friday’s loss to the Rays.
“We can focus on the error, but I tend to focus on the good plays he’s made,” said Girardi, who spoke to Nunez before putting him at short, one of several pep talks he received.
Nunez responded with a solid game defensively, and he also hit a solo home run — his first since Sept. 21 of last year, both off James Shields — in a 5-3 victory. He said he appreciated Girardi seeking him out.
“It’s a good feeling when a manager gives you confidence,” Nunez said.
Alex Rodriguez said Nunez can help the Yankees down the stretch.
“Nunez is a difference-maker,” he said. “He’s one of the finest offensive players on this team, without a doubt. The one thing about Nunez that’s very special is that he can hit really, really good pitching. That’s rare. … He really has the potential to kick-start our offense.”
Nunez has been a mess on defense this season after the Yankees tried to make him a utility player, placing him all over the infield as well as in left. He was sent down to the minors to play shortstop exclusively.
“You have to learn from your mistakes,” said Robinson Cano, who along with Jeter also talked to Nunez. “He always listens, but we’re in a crazy race and that makes it harder.”
Jeter (left ankle bone bruise) had an RBI single as the designated hitter. Girardi said he thought the Yankees captain looked better.
* Brett Gardner ran the bases and bunted for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in July. Girardi said Gardner could return in a limited role soon — pinch-running and possibly playing some left field.
“This is a guy we don’t expect to be able to hit for us, but it is possible he’d be able do other things,” Girardi said. “He’s taken some fly balls. Our concern is if he were to dive and tuck again.”
Gardner, who has been limited to nine games all season, originally hurt himself diving for a ball April 17. Yesterday, he said he felt “100 percent.”
“I think I’m a couple of days away from being able to possibly be in a game,” Gardner said. “Obviously, that would be up to them.”
Gardner said he won’t know whether he is fully healed until he takes batting practice.
“I feel back to my old self,” Girardi said. “Diving for a ball, I don’t have any reservations about that.”
The base-stealing threat plans to practice diving today or tomorrow to get his timing back.
“I’m not going to count myself out of anything,” Gardner said.
* Girardi said there still is no timetable for Mark Teixeira (strained left calf) to get in the batting cage: “He’s still sore.”
—Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff