TORONTO — Vernon Wells’ .244 average doesn’t make him a prototypical pinch-hitting candidate, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi called on the veteran outfielder to bat for Brett Gardner in a key situation in the seventh inning of last night’s 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays.
Austin Romine’s one-out single had just driven Jays starter R.A. Dickey from the game, bringing in left-handed reliever Aaron Loup to protect the three-run lead. The move backfired as the righty-swinging Wells went down swinging on three pitches.
“I am looking for a home run, that’s all,” Girardi said. “Loup is pretty tough on lefties.’’
Wells entered the game with a .299 average against southpaws this season, while righty batters were hitting .293 against Loup (as compared to .186 for lefty batters). Wells, after struggling for much of the summer, has also showed signs of life at the plate, hitting .324 (11-for-34) over his last 36 plate appearances.
* Given that Derek Jeter has already had two short-lived returns this season, it may be premature to say Eduardo Nunez no longer will be an everyday shortstop. Even if Jeter’s latest return sticks, however, Nunez will still get his share of playing time all over the infield.
“He’s going to play,” Girardi said. “He’s going to play some short, some third, he might play second.”
With Jayson Nix likely out for the remainder of the season with a fractured hand, Nunez is the Yankees’ only utility infielder until rosters expand on Sept. 1.
With Jeter and Alex Rodriguez both coming off major injuries, it stands to reason both players will receive extra time as designated hitters, opening the door for Nunez to play in the field. Nunez also will back up Robinson Cano at second base, though Nunez hasn’t played the position since April 19, 2012.
“He’s really our only other option at second right now,” Girardi said. “Nixy’s down and we’re not going to get him back. It probably makes some sense to get [Nunez] some ground balls there.”
* Preston Claiborne was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Jeter on the 25-man roster. The rookie is a sure bet to be recalled on September 1, as Claiborne has posted a 2.78 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 45 1/3 relief innings for the Yankees this season.
* It didn’t take long for the news ofMets pitcher Matt Harvey’s partial UCL tear to reach the Yankees’ corner of the New York baseball universe. Harvey may not return to the majors until 2015 if he undergoes Tommy John surgery, a development that left Girardi disappointed.
“It’s unfortunate. He’s been a great young pitcher in the short time that he’s been here,” Girardi said. “It’s things that you go through as an organization, go through as a team, players go through injuries, they’re all part of it. … Depending on how he does, those guys usually come back and they’re usually really good again.”
While the Yankees have certainly had their share of injuries, their staff has largely been fortunate in avoiding Tommy John surgery, which keeps pitchers out of action for a minimum of nine or 10 months. Of the current Yankees roster, only Joba Chamberlain and Shawn Kelley have undergone the procedure.
“Without your health it’s nothing. It makes you understand how lucky I have been to play as long as I have without a major injury,” C.C. Sabathia said, while knocking on a piece of wood at his locker.
—Additional reporting by George A. King III